DRAKIGO
by FAH3
Summary: COMPLETE! True love never dies.  Rated M for adult situations and graphic scenes in future chapters. Kigo
1. Prolog

**1462**

In the country of Transylvania, an army of thousands had gathered outside the walls of a massive castle fortress. They stood waiting for their leader and commander who, at that moment, was inside the chapel. With the fall of Constantinople, the Muslim Turks had quickly begun to spread their influence all throughout Eastern Europe with a vast superior force. All of known Christianity was now at risk of being wiped away in the wake of a holy war. It now rested upon the shoulders of the armies that waited for their leader, a Romanian knight that was a member of the sacred order of the Dragon. They had pledged to defend their church against all sworn enemies of Christ. And with the Turks almost on their doorstep, they had to stop them here and now. So before a large stone cross that sat in front of a stain glass mosaic, the knight prayed to God for a victory in the battlefield. The woman that was knelt next to the knight was praying that her lover would return to her alive and well.

As both finished their prayers and crossed themselves, the woman quickly leapt into her lover's arms as fresh tears began to fall. She couldn't help but cry as she felt the knight's armored arms circle her in a tender and loving embrace. She always felt safe when she was being held by her love.

"Why do you cry?" the knight asked her while stroking the weeping woman's red hair in an effort to calm her worry.

"Please, don't leave. I feel that something will happen to you. Ever since you announced that you would fight, I have had this terrible feeling that something will happen." The young woman said as her tears ran down her face and stained her white and blue dress.

"Nothing bad will happen to me."

"But how can you be sure?" she asked.

"Hear me now, my immortal beloved. The bond we share is so strong, that not even death can conquer it. No matter what happens this day, I will find my way to you." The knight said as they broke their embrace and they gazed into each other's emerald eyes. "And when I return, you will be my wife. Even if it is in my eyes alone." The knight said as she kissed her true love on her pouting lips.

For so many years, she had done her best to not let anyone else know that she was a woman. No one knew but her lover, Elizabeta. The one person she trusted more than herself, and the one thing she prized more above all else. Despite years of her reclaiming her birthright and bringing order to her land in the most horrid and violent ways possible, the one thing that allowed her to keep any trace of her humanity intact was her beloved Elizabeta. Despite the fact that both of them were women or the church would not recognize their union, she didn't care. To her, Elizabeta was and always will be her wife.

"I know it's pointless of me to ask, but please. Will you stay?" Elizabeta asked as she caressed her lover's face in one hand and brushed away her long raven hair with another.

"I must fight. I do not have a choice in this matter." She said.

"Then please, be safe. And come back to me, my love." She said as she kissed her one last time.

Slowly and unwillingly, their kiss came to an end as they let go of each other's hands. With one steady deep breath, the knight placed her helmet over her head that hid her face and left the sanctuary of the chapel and her castle. She walked into the midst of her gathered army that cheered for her as she came to her waiting horse. With tears in her eyes and worry in her heart, Elizabeta watched as her true love leave to battle an insurmountable force that wanted nothing more than to lay waste to them and what they were risking their lives to defend. She just prayed and asked for God to keep her beloved safe from harm. She knew there was a chance that her beloved may not return from the battle, but she didn't want to think about it. She refused to. For if Elizabeta were to loose her true love, she didn't know what she would do.

* * *

With a feral scream of both passion and primal rage, she swuung the heavy blade of her sword and watched the weapon sink itself deep into the chest of the Turk in front of her. A satisfied, if not sadistic, smile spread across her face under the helmet she wore as she watched the soldier scream his last breath in utter agony. Blood seeped from the deadly wound she had inflicted upon him while his armor and the tunic he wore were stained crimson before falling into the ground in a lifeless heap. As she jerked her weapon from the fresh corpse, she quickly looked around her for another opponent to cut down before she realized that there weren't any more. The massive force that outnumbered her own had either run away or was now dying or law dead on the battlefield. How long had this battle been going on? Had it been days, or maybe even weeks? Perhaps it had been months or longer? She didn't know. All the days seemed to have blended together since the fighting had started. As she tried to regain her rbeath, she still couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes. Her armies had laid waste to the Turks and their camp while what was left of their forces burned with the light of the setting sun.

Bodies lay at her feet all around her, not all of them sharing the same death. Some had been stabbed or hacked by the blade of a sharp sword or axe, others lay with their bodies pierced by arrows, and some were trampled by horses or the massive numbers of either army. But she turned her attention to another location, one in which she had ordered to have been made special and an example of. From where she stood, she could see the fate of the high-ranking officers of the Turkish army, and enjoyed watching as they suffered in the way she saw fit. When she was younger, only a child at the time, she and her younger brothers had been captured by the Turks. They had spent their entire childhood as their prisoners, and were finally freed when their father had been killed by those he would have called friend. It had taken her some time, and she had slaughtered many to do so, but she reclaimed her family's kingdom.

As part of the revenge she lusted for against the Turks, she watched them suffer. The punishment she had placed upon these bastards was one she was very well known for, and had earned her blood soaked title. The Impailer. But a simple spear through their stomach and watching them slide wasn't enough. No, not for robbing her of the childhood she could never reclaim. Loosing a part of her life she could never get back, no. It wasn't enough by far. Instead, sharpened poles of the roughest and harshest wood were made and shoved into their anus before they were lifted vertically into the air. She enjoyed listening to their screams of torment and anguish as their own bodies betrayed them and allowed them to slide ever lower down the poles she had placed them on. Removing her helmet and looking into the distant sunset, she withdrew the bronze cross that had been tied around her waist and brought it level to her face as she pressed her forehead against it.

"Praise be to God. I am victorious." She said as she kissed the bronze symbol and looked up at the setting sun. As she did so, she couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong. As she gazed at the setting sun, the feeling began to grow as she began to feel more and more uneasy. What could it be, though? This didn't make any sense to her at all. The army had been defeated, the Turks had been halted. She and Elizabeta could finally – Elizabeta! Since the day they realized their love for each other, a unique bond had formed between them. And right now, through that bond, she could tell something was terribly wrong. She had to get back to Transylvania at once!

"A HORSE! I NEED A HORSE!" she screamed as loud as she could to her soldiers.

"You can have mine, sire." One of the Calvary soldiers said as they dismounted and allowed his leader to mount his stead. "Your majestry, what is the matter?" he asked her.

"There's something wrong. I have to return home at once!" she said before she rode away as fast as she could on the horse, dropping the bronze cross as she did so. She didn't care if she rode to the horse to death, she needed to make it back to the castle as fast as possible. As she did so, the bronze cross she had left behind sank into the wet and soft mud as a pool of blood began to cover it.

* * *

The horse was tired and exhausted as she brought it to a full stop into the courtyard of her castle. As it panted and wheezed for a moment of rest and gasps of fresh air, the young knight quickly dismounted the horse as she gazed about the castle. Already she knew that something was very wrong. The atmosphere of the servants and various others were grim as they kept their gazes cast downward and kept themselves silent with their solomn movements. Something had happened while she was away. Was it Elizabeta? What had become of her? She needed answers.

"YOU!" she shouted as she saw one of the stable keeper's come to take care of her horse. The young stable boy immediately froze in place as he saw the young knight coming toward her and practically tower over her. "What has happened here? SPEAK!"

"Y-you're alive?" the stable boy asked in shock.

"Of courser I'm alive. Now explain to me what's been happening in my absence." As she pushed her dirty and sweat soaked raven hair out of her face.

"I-in the ch-chapel, my lord." The stable boy said as he pointed to the large church that she and her beloved had been praying in only days ago.

Not waiting to hear more, the knight ran as fast as she could toward the chapel. She could see many people looking up as she ran. For some strange reason, all of them seemed to be surprised that she was there. Why should they be? This was _her_ castle, and it was _her_ lands in which she ruled over? The answers she needed had better lay inside the walls of the chapel. As she finally reached the large doors and threw them open, everything inside her stopped working. Her blood felt like it had turned to ice froze in its place while her heart seemed to stop and felt like it would explode at any moment. Her eyes wide open with pure shock and terror at the same time as she gazed at the foot of the altar and large stone cross at the end of the chapel. Surrounded by three priests was her beloved Elizabeta, laying still and looking as white as the first fallen snow.

Her body felt like it couldn't move, but she forced herself to do so. She couldn't feel her limbs, causing her to stumble as she moved toward Elizabeta's still form. Forcing herself to crawl, she did not stop until she was on her knees next to her beloved bride. Her hair, as well as her white and blue dress, were all soaking wet. Parts of the dress were stained red as she saw thin trails of blood flowing from down her mouth and nose. Her red hair that seemed to once glow like the sun was now all matted and stuck together. As she tried to stroke the soft tresses, she was shocked to see her hands soaked in blood. The young knight began shaking her head in denial as she placed the same hand against her forehead and quickly withdrew it like it had been burned. But sadly, it was the opposite. Her skin was as cold as ice with no warm breath escaping from her body. As she looked at Elizabeta's still form, she could see the back of her head had been bashed in.

"Who did this?" the knight asked, but received no answer. She then looked upward and glared at the gathered priests before she spoke again. "WHO DID THIS TO HER?" she demanded from them.

"It was a messenger from the Muslim Turks." The head priest said as he stepped forward. "We refused to let him enter, thinking he was an assassin. So he fired an arrow into the castle with a message attached to it. It stated that you had been fallen in battle." The priest said to her.

"What does that have to do with – with this?" the knight demanded from him.

"She believed you were dead. Without you, she saw no reason to continue living. She flung herself into the river and struck her head on one of the rocks." The priest said before he withdrew a rolled message from his robes and handed it to the young knight. "This was found near the window after her body was retrieved from the river."

The knight took the note and quickly unrolled it. One thing the knight saw on the letter were the stains of where several drops of liquid had fallen onto the parchment. It was obvious that the stains had been tears. She had been crying while she had written the letter. It read,

"_My beloved Impress is gone. I have nothing without her warmth in my life. May God re-unite us in heaven, and may we always be together for all eternity."_

Everything in her mind slipped away as her heart seemed to crack and then break itself apart at the seems. This was not supposed to happen, not this. She had defeated them. Wasn't it enough that they took her childhood from her? That they were responsible for her father, her family being taken from her? And now this. They took the light in her life away from her. She had been everything to her. She did this, all this, for her. She did this so they could have a life together and be happy. Everything she had envisioned for them, everything she had dreamed for them to have was now gone. Living with her as her wife, growing old together, maybe even finding a child and raise it as theirs, was now all gone. Every single hope and desire she ever had and wanted was nothing more than dust in the wind. Why did this happen? Why? She wanted to know why. WHY?

"She has committed a mortal sin." The priest said to the knight as she wept over her lost love. "She has taken her own life, there is no saving her. She is damned for all time."

**"NOOOO!" **the knight screamed as she leapt to her feet and kicked over the bowl that held the holy water as the priests jumped back in fear. "Is this my reward for defending God's church? For sacrificing the life of my men and risking my own, only for her to suffer?" the knight demanded.

"It is God's law!" another priest shouted at her.

"THEN I WILL SERVE HIM NO MORE!"

"Blasphemy! You dare risk damanation?"

"I DEMAND HE COME BEFORE ME AND TELL ME WHY I HAD TO LOOSE HER! I DEMAND HE TELL ME WHY SHE SHOULD SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY WHEN SHE WAS AN INNOCENT! HER ONLY SIN WAS LOIVING ME!"

"It is not our place to question the will of God!"

"I'D RATHER BE DAMNED THAN TO EVER SERVE HIM IF THIS IS MY REWARD FOR DEFENDING HIS HOUSE! AND I BANISH EVERY SINGLE OF YOU THAT FEED FROM HIM!"

"Repent! Repent your ways!" another priest cried out.

"I SAID BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT! BE GONE, OR I SHALL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU DIE THE SAME WAY CHRIST DID ON THE CROSS!** LEAVE ME ALONE!**" the knight screamed as she drew her sword and jammed it into the center of the large stone cross that sat on the alter.

The priests began to pray and cross themselves as the quickly ran away from the church, not wanting the Lord's wrath that the knew the knight was fixing to suffer. With the chapel now empty, the knight collapsed to her knees and cradled the frail and limp form of her lover in her arms as she cried out in agony and grief. The pain and emptiness that filled her seemed to be without limits as she cried out in anguish. It seemed there was now nothing for her anymore. Just nothing. As she clung to her lover's body, she failed to hear the footsteps that entered the sacred chapel and slowly approached her while also observing the scene before him. He couldn't help but feel a slight bit of remorse and pity for the knight as he stepped closer to her.

"It is a horrible feeling, isn't it? The loneliness. The hopelessness." The man said to her.

"I thought I told you to be gone from my sight." The knight said.

"I'm not one of those self-serving sycophants, my Lady." The man said, causing the knight to turn and look at the man wearing strange robes.

"You know I'm a – a,"

"A woman? Yes, I know. I've known for some time." The man said as he stepped next tot he altar so he could face the knight better as she set her beloved's body back down.

"Who are you?" she asked him.

"Just an observer. I've been keeping my eye on you for some time now."

"Why me?"

"Why not?" the stranger asked as he knelt down to be eye level with her. "You are a unique one. So much has been taken from you, and you've had to suffer for it as well. So many other people in your position would have given up by now. But not you. Instead, you choose to fight back against those that would oppress you and keep you down."

"I believe in delivering justice. I believe in an eye for an eye."

"Except that belief leaves both blind. But what if I had something to offer you?"

"If you're the devil come to trick me, I'm not interested."

"I'm not the devil. But I will admit that I have lived for a long, long time. I have seen many things, and have come to many different conclusions. For I do not believe in death." He said to her.

"You speak in riddles."

"As are many things in life. For one, I believe your beloved is not lost to you."

"She's dead."

"So? I have come to believe that we do not ascend to a kingdom in the sky when we die. Instead, I believe we are reborn into a new life. A chance to live this life again, and learn from the mistakes of our past lives. Of course, it may take several years though. But I believe that this is the case with your – pet. That she is not lost to you." The man said and saw that his words were causing the knight to think. "I can offer you a way to wait for her return. A way to beat defeat time ravishing you until you're dead. A way to cheat the reaper." The man said to her.

"What are you?" the knight asked the man in front of her.

"Let's just say that I'm a man of wealth and taste." He said as he smiled, and revealed a set of fangs to extend and grow over his canines. The knight immediately backed away from the man as fast as she could as she clutched her sword tightly.

"Nosferatu!" she said and saw the man's charming smile turn soar.

"A barbaric and simple term for my kind." He said as he stood, stepped around Elizabeta's body, and stopped a few feet away form the knight. "Why do you hesitate then? Draw your sword and strike me down, if you wish." The man said to her.

She should. She had heard the horror stories and legends around these – these creatures of the night. These monsters that kill for food. So why couldn't she do it? What was keeping her from drawing her blade and striking this monster this down now? She didn't hesitate in the least when she killed the Turk forces, so why not this one man?

"Y-you look like a – a,"

"A man? Like I'm still human? It is part of our way. We can still feel, still taste, still enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. But we are predators, and we must feed." He said to her as he cautiously took a few steps closer.

"_He's admitting it. Now's my chance. Draw your sword, you fool! Kill him! Kill him now before he kills you, damn it!"_ her brain was screaming at her. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to kill this monster in front of her now! So why couldn't she? Who was she trying to fool. She knew exactly why.

"C-can I – can I really wait for her? Is what you say – really possible?" she asked him.

"Of course it's possible. But if you want to search the oceans of time for her, you must give up this mortal coil. You must forsake this life and embrace the life I have beyond the realm of mortal understanding." He said to her as he started to smile again ever so slightly.

The knight closed her eyes for a moment before she looked up once more. Her features hardened and became unreadable as she drew her sword and held it steady in front of her. She held the weapon steady for a few moments as the man began to think he had made a mistake. He was judging whether or not to flee from the chapel before the knight dropped her sword and loosened her chest plate. The armor covering her torso fell to the stone floor with a loud bang as she ripped the thick shirt underneath to expose her neck.

"Make it quick." She said as she closed her eyes.

The man's smile grew as he came closer to her, and breathed in her scent deeply. He could smell the anticipation in her as he heard her heart quicken and her blood gain speed through her veins. The smell of a man expecting what was to come next was invigorating, of course. But when it came from a woman, it just seemed so much more intoxicating. He had to control himself from drooling and almost felt an orgasm overcome him as he brushed her dark hair away and felt the heat from her body. The knight flinched slightly as she felt her fingers on her collarbone, shoulder, and neck. It was warm, but barley. Like a strange mixture of warmth and ice at the same time. She could feel his breath on her neck as he came closer, but tried her best to prepare herself for the pain that she knew would come soon. The man's smile grew as his brown eyes turned red and he bit down.

The knight gasped as she reached up and tightly clutched the man's dark cloak. The pain was intense at first, but only at first. Now that she could feel him feeding from her, the sensations that followed were so much different. It was pleasurable as he fed. She could feel herself growing weaker, but she also felt a sudden rush of ecstasy and lust take hold of her as she felt herself growing weaker in the knees. It was almost like the first time she had made love to someone all over again.

The man rose up and gasped for air, almost as if he had been underwater for hours. He hadn't tasted blood so rich and fool of life in so long, he needed to relish the taste and feeling as it spread through him like a warm ale. He held the knight in his arms, keeping her head raised as he looked down at her and wiped away the little bit of blood that had dribbled down his lips and down his chin. She was having trouble staying awake now. Every inch of her body felt like she had just slipped into a bath that had gone cold, and felt weaker than she could remember. She wondered if this was how it felt to faint as the man holding her bit the cloth covering his wrist and ripped it open with his teeth. Her eyes went wide for a moment as she saw him bite into the flesh of his wrist and saw cherry red blood begin to poor down his arm like a small river.

"I have drained you to the point of death. You now have a choice that I never had. If you want, you can embrace death. But if you truly want to be like me and search for your lost lover, then take back the blood that I have stolen from you." He said as he lowered his bleeding wrist to the knight's mouth.

She was hesitant at first. She questioned her motives as she looked at the blood dripping down onto her neck. But then she saw her beloved lying on the floor, cold and there was any chance she could find her again, to feel her warmth and love in her arms again, then she had to take it. She reached up and clutched the wrist, not even sure if her grip on it was tight or not, and pressed it to her lips. She then began to drink the blood that was flowing from the wound and into her waiting mouth. It was bitter with a large taste of copper. Not appealing to her at all. Ash she drank more of the blood, the taste began to change. It tasted sweeter somehow. Rich and flavorful, like she was partaking of a rare wine. As she drank more of the blood, she felt her strength return to her as well as the erotic feelings that were flowing through her mind. She wanted more, so much more. She was ready to rip the wrist off of the arm to drink more before she felt a sharp stabbing sensation in her chest. She pushed the wrist away as she cried out in pain and clutched her chest tightly. As the pain grew, she curled herself into a fetal position as the pain became unbearable burning that seemed to spread throughout her body. What had she just done to herself? If she had watched her beloved's body as she clutched her body, she would have seen one tear form from her closed eyes and fall down her cheek to the ground below.

"It will pass in a moment. The infection is taking hold inside of you; changing your body." He said as he flexed his wrist and watched as the wound he had inflicted upon it heal. "The things you will be able to do and see is beyond imagination. And I will teach you everything you will ever need to know." He said as he crawled over to her and leered at her prone and aching form. "History will record of the things we will accomplish together. No kingdom has ever seen what we will become. An undying queen of untold beauty. With me at your side, you will forget about the pathetic,"

He never finished his sentence as the knight's hand shot upward and clutched his throat tightly and began to cut off his air supply. Her body was in such pain and torment that she doubted even those she made suffer ever felt agony such as this. But as she glared at the man in front of her, she pushed through the pain and forced her mind to act. Pure will and determination were driving her as she stood to her feet and felt her breathing become ragged with her rage.

"I should have known." She growled at the man. "Human or Nosferatu, all of you men are the same. You think I can love something like you, when I held true in my hands?" she demanded from the vampire as she pushed him back towards the alter in the church. "You saw yourself a king in MY kingdom? How dare you!" she said to him.

"This – is im-impossible!" he said as he saw the hatred and rage grow in her eyes. He could see that she was still in pain , but he never saw a human ever tolerate it like this woman was doing now. What kind of human was she?

"How – DARE YOU!" she screamed at him as she began to crush his windpipe in her hand.

"What a-are you – doing?" he choked as he saw her draw closer to him and looked on in fear and horror as her eyes changed from green to a deep blood red.

"I am Shego Dracula. The blood is the life." She whispered to him. "And it shall be mine!" she growled before she tore into his neck and let the vampire's agonized screams of pain echo through out the chapel.

**D R A K I G O**

by FAH3

* * *

**Note(s):** Based on the artwork of the same title by YogurthFrost and Lord-Kellendros on Deviantart dot com. Dracula is property of Universal studios, and Kim Possible is property of Disney. I work with neither and wrote this for fun.


	2. Stranger in a Strange Land

**1897**

Ronald Stoppable, a struggling clerk in the law firm of Tompkins and Barkin, let a depressed sigh escape him as he looked at the fog covered and bleak streets of London. After spending several hours at a desk, he had to stretch his legs. This was not the life he had imagined for himself when he was younger. He saw himself using his natural gifts to become a highly skilled chef and possibly opening his own restaurant. Of course, like so many other things, that required money. The one necessary evil in the world he didn't have. And since his father had been in actuary in a law firm, he had used his connections in order for Ronald to find work. Now here he was, miserable. While it seemed that others were going up in life, he was stuck slightly below the middle. And he was taking his fiancé, Kimberly Anne Possible, with him.

Kimberly, or KP as he usually called her, had been his best friend since they were children. He didn't know why, but it felt like everything was always balanced in the world whenever they were together. Her father, Dr. James T. Possible, was one of the most brilliant men of science he had ever met. He even had theories and ideas on how it may one day be possible for men to one day walk on the moon. Ronald couldn't help but chuckle at that idea. Kimberly's mother, Anne, was a brilliant woman in her own right. Despite being a woman, she was a master in the realm of medical science. In her youth, she had disguised herself as a man and attended medical school. To this day, only a trusted select few knew of that secret and it was one Ronald would keep to the end of his days. While it looked like her younger brothers would follow their father in the fields of science, Kimberly herself was a free spirit. She was a skilled athlete, a smart woman, and always wanted to do her best to help others. While he had been an awkward and clumsy boy growing up, she always stood by his side. So he was astounded that before they had finished their last year of school, they had both realized how they truly felt about each other.

Both their parents approved of their engagement happily, but Ron felt that he didn't have enough money to give her the life they wanted. She deserved all the finer things in life, not the humble and simple things he could offer her. But he had sworn that when he had reached partner in the firm, he would finally marry Kimberly. She wouldn't have to settle being just a school mistress anymore. Or maybe they should just move to America and try their luck there. Maybe in the Colorado region he had heard about. He knew that he and she both had some family somewhere in America.

"STOPPABLE!" a very strong and loud voice shouted, making Ronald almost jump out of his suit as he spun from the window. At the other sided of the room, looking even more agitated than he usually did, was Mr. Steven Barkin. A former soldier in her majesties army, he was also one of the controlling partners in the law firm. He always looked like something was upsetting him. And for some odd reason, he would take out his frustrations on Ronald with so many tasks that it would make a normal man insane. Maybe Barkin was one of the reasons that a partner in the firm, Drew Lipski, had gone insane.

"Y-yes, sir?" Ronald asked him.

"My office. NOW!" Barkin barked as he returned to the confines of his office why Ronald tried to swallow the large knot he felt forming in his throat.

"Now what did I do?" Ron moaned to himself as he walked to his employer's office. While he did so, he couldn't help but feel like a condemned man on his way to the gallows. He just hoped his pants wouldn't fall down around his ankles again. Sooner than he wanted, Ronald was standing in the entrance to Mr. Barkin's office.

"Close the door and have a seat." Barkin said, sitting at his desk and looking over several papers.

Ronald did as he was instructed as he kept his eyes glued to his employer. He felt like a child that was in trouble and facing the headmaster for punishment. The thought of that sent a shiver down Ronald's spine. Barkin as his headmaster? He didn't think he would ever survive that.

"Stoppable, are you aware of the situation with Drew Lipski?" Barkin asked him.

"I know he's been – under the weather." Ronald said.

"The man's flipped his lid, Stoppable. He's a deranged blubbering idiot, which I have no tolerance for. Just the other day, he was thrown into Carfax Asylum with the rest of the nut cases there. I say shoot them all and be done with them." Barkin said to himself as he set some of his papers down. "Unfortunately, he also left some unfinished business. He was finalizing several purchases with a foreign client. An eccentric Countess in Romania, or something like that." Barkin said.

"A Countess?" Ron asked.

"Yes, apparently very wealthy. She's been buying property in London. According to his letters, she wishes to try and set up a residence here." Barkin said.

"That's good, isn't it?" Ronald said.

"That's a matter of opinion. The point is that if these purchases aren't finalized, then the arrangements Lipski made will fall through. We'll not only loose this foreign client, but the considerable amount of money she's willing to pay." Barkin said.

"Pardon my ignorance, sir. But what does this have to do with me?"

"Despite better judgement, and my several opinions on the matter, the board has chosen you to finalize the transaction. If you're successful and don't screw this up like you usually do, then the board will probably promote you." Barkin said.

Ronald couldn't help but smile at the news he had just been given. This was it! This was the chance he had been waiting for! As Barkin's words echoed back and forth in his head, he could almost see Kimberly in her wedding gown and walking down an isle now. Despite Barkin's unfriendly attitude, Ron grasped the large man's hand firmly and gave it a good shake.

"Thank you, sir! I promise, I won't let you down!" Ron said to him.

"Like I haven't heard that before." Barkin said as he broke the handshake and wiped his hand against the lower half of his suit jacket.

"Out of curiosity, when do I leave?" Ron asked him.

"Immediately."

* * *

"Immediately?" Kim asked her fiancé, shocked at his words. She was thrilled that he was finally promoted which meant they could be married at last. But the fact that he had to leave to a distant part of the world made her feel like she had just swallowed a large lead weight.

"I'm sorry, KP. It seems that I even manage to ruin the best moments in our life." Ron said with a sad smile.

"No you don't." Kim said as she leaned in and planted a small kiss on his cheek. When she pulled back, she chuckled at the intense blush that flooded his cheeks. "Why do you do that?" she asked him.

"Do what?" he asked her.

"Every time I kiss you, even a small peck, you always blush." She said.

"I just can't believe that someone as wonderful as you wants to be with someone like me." Ron said to her.

"Because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." She said as she hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

"Look at it this way. When I get back, we can finally be married. And you can even let Monique design the gown of your dreams. It'll give both of you a project to work on while you stay with her while I'm away." Ron said.

"Just promise me you'll write to me as often as you can. I want you mailing a letter as soon as you board that train. Do you hear me?" Kim asked him.

"Loud and clear, KP." He said as he hugged her tighter. "At least I'll meet some interesting people."

* * *

**Transylvania**

Interesting seemed to be the understatement of the year. Ron knew the people in this foreign land would be different than what he was used to, but not this strange. Ronald was sharing a carriage with three other people, and all of them looked worried. Almost frightened as it were. They kept glancing outside the windows every so often as they traveled, like they were looking for something. But as the sun began set in the distance, there uneasiness seemed to grow more and more as the light of day began to grow less and less. Even the carriage driver forced the horses that were pulling the carriage to go faster than what they were used to. Ronald himself began to grow a bit fearful, but not for his safety. He feared for the poor creatures that were pulling them along. If they driver pushed them any further, they would most likely not survive. He just didn't understand. What were these people so afraid of.

Ron glanced out the window and saw that the sun had set halfway by now, meaning there would only be a few more minutes of daylight left. And he wasn't sure how comfortable he would be with trying to light a lamp inside a carriage as bumpy as this one. Ronald was too lost in his thoughts to notice their current location until the driver brought the carriage to a sudden stop. Ronald found himself at the feet of the other passengers as one quickly opened the door while the driver quickly threw the two bags Ronald had brought with him down to the ground. It took Ronald a moment to gather himself before stepping out and noticing they were at a strange fork in the road. Ron was expecting they would stop at a village first or at least some type of lodging. But there was just simply nothing here.

"Driver, is this right?" Ronald as the man as he took his seat once more.

"I don't dare go any further with the light fading. The Borgo Pass is one mile down that road. I just pray to God that you regain your senses and decide to leave before it's too late." The driver said.

Ronald was fixing to bend down and grasp his bags when one of the passengers, a middle-aged woman, leaned out and grasped his right hand. She placed something in the palm of his hand before making him wrap his fingers around it and said "The dead travel fast."

She quickly re-entered the carriage and closed the door as the driver forced the horses to continue onward at a fast run and quickly disappeared from sight in a cloud of dust. Ron opened his palm and looked at what the woman gave him, and saw that it was a small crucifix that had been made into a necklace. What a strange gift to give to a total stranger. He wanted to tell her that he was in fact Jewish, and a medallion of the Star of David already hung around his neck. Not wanting to be rude and not knowing what to do with the sudden gift, he placed the crucifix in his pocket, picked up his bags, and began walking down the lone dirt road.

As the time passed, Ronald was glad he had worn a thick coat as the sun finally set in the distance and night fell all around him like a large curtain. He had walked only a mile down the dirt road before he came upon a sign that indicated he had finally made it to the Borgo Pass. But so far, he was still the only one there. He had hoped that the Countess would have sent a carriage or something for him. Even a wagon carrying stacks of hay would have been welcome. He had no idea where the Countess' castle resided, and he doubted his feet could survive another mile in the shoes that he was wearing. He wished someone would make a shoe that was strictly for walking and comfort, and nothing like the leather pains he wore. His thinking was disrupted as he saw a bolt of lightning crack down, looking like a gnarled hand that seemed to be reaching for something. After seeing that sight, Ronald was hopping that the Countess would be sending something for him soon. While his coat may protect him against the cold, it wouldn't protect him against the rain. Ron looked up and down the pass as he shivered from the cold and thought he heard the sound of howling wolves in the distance. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of mess he had gotten himself into now.

As the howling of the wolves grew louder, Ronald recognized one noise that was growing closer and was glad to hear it. The sound of wagon wheels rolling against the dirt and road was approaching where he was standing and fast. Ron tightened his coat as he looked up and down the pass once more, and saw a black carriage approaching him. At first glance, Ronald could almost swear that it looked more like it was supposed to be a funeral carriage. As the vehicle came to a stop, Ron could see that two very large black Clydesdales were pulling the coach. The driver pulling it was a man wearing a coat that had been used so many times before, with a thick salt and pepper beard covering his face.

"Are you Ronald Stoppable?" he asked with a thick Romanian accent.

"I am. Who are you?" Ronald asked him.

"I am one of the Countess' servants. I was sent to bring you to the castle." He said as he reached down and opened the door to the carriage. "Get in. The Countess is expecting you." He said as he nudged his head to the open carriage.

The driver did not shown any sign of kindness or patience on his face at all. Not wanting to hesitate or see what the tempers of what the people of this region were like, Ron quickly climbed into the carriage and took his seat. As soon as the carriage door closed, the driver snapped his whip and they were on their way. As Ron was jostled about, he couldn't believe how fast they were traveling. At the speed they were traveling, the driver was risking the carriage tipping over. Surely the man knew that, didn't he? As Ron poked his head out of the window, Ron received a terrifying shock. HE didn't know they had traveled so far so fast, but Ron was shocked that the carriage was now traveling along a cliff side road with the wheels of the carriage too close to the edge for Ron's comfort. They were still traveling far too fast as the carriage ran over a small rock, causing Ron to bounce and his the back of his head against the window frame of the carriage door.

Ron quickly retreated back into the carriage as he tried to gently rub the pain in his head away. He could almost swear that his eyes were starting to slightly cross as the sharp sting seemed to flow from the back of his head all the way through the rest of his brain. As he sat back in the seat and took his hands away, his eyes saw something that looked as is it could have almost came from a VanGough painting. Sitting on a large cliff, looking almost it had been carved from the mountain itself, was a large castle that seemed to resemble an ancient fortress. Various lights shimmered in the castle's windows, showing some signs of life against the dark navy blue night sky and the full moon that sat high above it. As they came closer to the castle, Ron could see that time had not been so kind to the ancient structure. Various spots of the massive fortress were had collapsed in on itself. Some places had been repaired with modern materials while other larger places made the fortress look like a gaping wound that had begun to rot. If the Countess had to live in a structure like this, it was no wonder she was buying a home in London. Even with all the money in the world, Ron wasn't sure if anyone would be welling to repair a structure this large.

Sooner than Ron had realized, the carriage had left the dangerous confines of the cliff side road and was now on more solid ground as it approached the massive fortress. A large iron gate that sat in front of the castle began to retract upward, the aged iron sounding almost like it was screaming in protest from being used. Within moments, the carriage was stopped and the door flung open.

"We're here. The Countess hates to be kept waiting." The driver said as he pounded on the top of the carriage with his fist. Ron quickly exited the carriage, taking his bags with him as it departed the moment Ron was free of the vehicle.

As Ron stood there, he couldn't help but look up at the massive structure. Now that he was actually standing before the castle, it even more looked like a rotting wound in the Earth that it did on the Borgo pass. Lightning soon cracked again, briefly illuminating the structure for a moment. All around him, he could hear the sounds of bats flying high above him and creatures lurking in the distance. As the iron gate slammed closed, he turned and was frightened as he saw a pack of gray and silver wolves at the front gate. The light from the various torches made their eyes seem to glow with a strange inner light as they sat and seemed to be studying Ronald. It was as if they had knowledge of something that he didn't. After trying to gain a brief control of his fear, Ronald proceeded up the large stone stairs and to the large oak doors in front of him. The wood seemed to be as old as the castle, with large pieces of sculpted iron keeping the various boards held together. In the center of each door was a strange shape that looked to be a large dragon with its wings outstretched and breathing fire.

Ronald balled his fist and raised it high to knock on the doors, but was quite surprised when the door opened. Behind it was a pale, young Japanese woman in an eggshell blue dress and a red ribbon tied in her black hair that was cut short at her chin. In her hand was a large ornate oil lamp.

"You are Mr. Stoppable?" she asked, speaking perfect english.

"I am. Are you the Countess?" Ronald asked her.

"No. My name is Yori, and I am one of the Countess' faithful servants. Please, come in." she said as she stepped aside.

Ron stepped inside and saw that despite the castle's exterior, the interior was very clean, sturdy, and organized. Several and torches and lamps revealed the many large oriental rugs that had been placed on the stone floor, and various paintings, tapestries, and animal heads and antlers that had been decorated about the large room. A grand marble staircase stood in front of Ron with two large silver and gold dragons posed at the ends of both banisters, almost like they were guarding the entrance hall of the castle.

"Please wait here. I shall inform the Countess that you have arrived." Yori said as she bowed and turned to walk up the stairs. Ron might be a gentleman, but he was also a man. So he couldn't help but enjoy the sheerness of Yori's dress, and the view of her backside as she left his company. Feeling a bit guilty, Ronald tried to distract himself with one of the other items in the room. AS he glanced about the various paintings, his eyes fell to one in particular. It was an old painting of a young woman and what he assumed was a young man as well. The man looked strange, though. Very feminine despite the way he was posed and his attire. He had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail, while wearing a strange red robe with a gold dragon on one breast. A dragon that looked exactly like the ones that were mounted on the doors outside. It must be the Countess' family crest if this is her ancestor. The woman at the young man's side was very beautiful. She was wearing an elegant gown of blue and white while her long red hair was tied in an elaborate bun with golden hair clips. Her lips weren't too large, but not too small and seemed to pout naturally. When Ron looked at her green eyes, he realized he had seen her somewhere before.

"Welcome to my home, Mr. Stoppable." A very calm and smooth voice said, startling Ron for a moment or two. Quickly pocketing the locket, he turned to see who had spoken. As he did, his eyes almost fell out of his head as he saw the woman before him that was standing in the middle of the marble staircase. She was a tall, and very pale woman. Her skin was almost flawless, with the only thing that revealed her age was her white hair that was arranged in a large double bun. She wore a black dress that was outlined with jade green, the design of it being – unique at best description. The black cloth almost seemed to reflect the light of the torches, while her well-endowed bosom was amplified by the dress. The only thing that held the dress together in the front was a silver clasp that seemed to almost resemble a skull with red rubies set as the eyes. Below her breasts, the dress was opened to reveal her toned and flat abdomen to just below her navel. The dress hugged her frame tightly, while the sleeves seemed to hang loosely from her arms with fine green silk woven on the inside. "Enter freely of your own free will. But please, leave some of the happiness that you bring."

"C-Countess, I presume?" Ronald asked as he felt his cheeks blush with a fury and felt the heat inside the room increase.

"I am Countess Shego Dracula, and I bid you welcome to my home." She said as she stepped down from the stairs and bowed slightly to Ron and giving him a better view of her bosom at the same time.

"The honor is mine." Ronald said as he removed his hat, took the Countess' hand and gently kissed it. It was not only the polite thing to do, but he was desperate to avoid the chance at himself blushing in the woman's presence. As he kissed her hand, he couldn't help but notice how cool her hand felt to the touch.

"I imagine you have you have had a tiring journey, Mr. Stoppable. If you would like, my servants have already prepared dinner." She said to him.

"Thank you, ma'am." He said as he began to follow the Countess.

* * *

"You must excuse me if I don't eat with you." The Countess said as she and Ron sat at a large table that had roasted chicken, an assortment of fruits and vegetables, and a large bowl of soup. "I have already eaten." She said as a young brunette in a golden dress entered with a large bottle of wine and poured a generous amount into Ron's goblet. The woman's skin was tanned, complementing her dark brunette hair. As she filled Ron's glass, he couldn't help but feel like she was looking at him in the same fashion a cat would look at a mouse before pouncing it. He even thought he could hear her purring as she smiled at him.

"That's enough, Bonnie." The Countess said while the girl composed herself and quickly left.

"You don't want anything to drink?" Ronald asked the Countess.

"I never drink wine. I only keep it in case I have guests." She said to him as Ron began to eat.

"I must admit, this is a very strange place." Ron said to his host.

"How do you mean?" the Countess asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The people, for one. They almost seemed to be afraid of something." Ronald said.

"The people of Transylvania are very superstitious, Mr. Stoppable. Despite these modern times, many of the old ways still live on in a great portion of my land." She said to him.

"So I've noticed." Ron said as he smiled and ate. The food wasn't half bad. Not the best, but very enjoyable. "I noticed the painting in the entrance hall. Is that an ancestor of yours?" Ronald asked her.

"Yes, it was. The man in the painting was Vlad Dracula and his bride, Elizabeta. They ruled this land for many years. In fact, that's his sword above the fireplace there." The Countess said and pointed to the large broadsword that was above the mantle of the large fireplace that seemed almost three times as large of a normal fireplace in England.

"I gather the dragon I've seen is your family symbol?"

"Yes and no. You see, my ancestor was a member of the Dracul." She said.

"The what?" Ronald asked her.

"How do you say it in your tongue? The order of the – dragon, I believe you say. It was ancient society that pledged my forefathers to defend the church against the enemies of Christ." She said as one of her fists balled tightly while she explained. "The relationship wasn't entirely – successful." She said.

"Oh, I see." Ron said with a bit of a laugh, thinking the Countess was making a joke. Faster than Ron could even blink, the countess was beside Ronald in a mere heartbeat with the blade of her ancestor's sword at his neck! How the hell did she move so fast?

"It is no laughing matter!" she growled at him. "Dracul's have a right to be proud of our heritage! What devil or witch was ever so great than the blood that flows through these veins?" she demanded.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't m-mean to offend." Ronald said to her. Slowly, the Countess lowered the sword as rationality seemed to reinsert itself into her senses.

"The apologies are mine. I have slowly come to realize that – the war-like days are over. Sadly, my family's great victories are now nothing more than stories that people tell to their children." She said as she placed the sword back above the mantel. "You see, Mr. Stoppable; I am the last of my race. When I die, so does my family's bloodline." she said to him. "I must excuse myself. Eat what you like, and one of my servants will show you to your room. Tomorrow evening, we shall see to the paperwork about my purchase." She said to him and quickly left.

"You must excuse the Countess." Yori said, appearing behind Ron without a sound.

"What? When did you,"

"I've been here for a while." She said to him. "The Countess has not had company here in many years. As her servants, we try to help the best we can. But sometimes, it isn't enough." Yori said to him.

"What about Mr. Lipski? Didn't he come here as well?" Ronald asked him.

"That was still many weeks ago. And he wasn't much to our – taste." Yori said with a slight frown. "I apologize if our ways seem strange." She said to him.

"It is rather different from England. Especially with coach drivers." Ronald said.

"You must forgive him. Like many servants here, his family swore their loyalty to the Countess' family generations ago. Some are content while others are not." Yori said to him. "Would you like to see your room now?"

"Yes, please. I think I might need some rest after all." Ron said as he rubbed his neck, mainly the area where the sword had been pressed into his flesh.

* * *

As Ronald observed his reflection in the small mirror as he shaved himself, he couldn't help but become very worried about his new surroundings. He had slept very well, despite where he was. When he woke in the morning, his clothes were put away, his papers and office supplies had been neatly arranged for him on a small writing desk, and a note stating that the Countess would meet with him at sunset to discuss the final details of her purchase. Ron decided he would explore the castle a bit in order to pass the time, but he discovered that his door had been locked from the outside. He was a prisoner in his room. He tried to open the door at various times, but it wouldn't budge. He made a mental note to discuss this with the Countess when he saw her. This treatment was unheard of.

When it was time for his meals, his food would already be sitting on a table near the door. Ronald couldn't figure out how they were able to bring him food without alerting him. A few times earlier, he had looked out his window and had seen several people digging up dirt from various areas and putting them into large wooden crates. Everything about this castle and its owner seemed more and more like a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. As Ron finished brushing the razor's edge along his skin, he saw the sun finally began to set in the distance out of the corner of his eye. Ron let out a satisfied sigh as he saw the orange sky grow darker as the sun began to hide itself behind the mountains in the distance. The sooner the papers were signed, the sooner he would be back in London and in the arms of the woman he loved. Ron began to brush the razor against his skin once more when he heard his door slam closed, causing him to jump slightly. As Ronald turned around, he saw the countess standing beside his desk and flipping through the various papers on his desk. He could have sworn he hadn't seen the door open in his small mirror. After all, it had been directly behind him.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon." Ronald said, trying to hide his fear and bewilderment. As the Countess looked up, he could see the same smile was on her face. The smile you would see on a predator after it caught its meal. The smile soon faded as she focused her attention on something. More specifically, she focused her attention on him.

"Mr. Stoppable, you're hurt." She said as she seemed to glide toward him.

"I am?" Ron asked and quickly looked in his mirror. Sure enough, he had cut part of his neck while he had been shaving. He could see a streak of red blood flowing from the wound and down to the collar of his shirt.

"Allow me. It's my fault for frightening you." She said as she grasped a small towel that was next to the large bowl of water Ronald had been using in order to clean his razor, and quickly dabbed at the wound. "I'll give you a minute to freshen up." She said as she stepped away from him. Making sure Ron was busy straightening his appearance; the Countess quickly ran her tongue across the bright red spots on the towel and savored the taste. As the sweet taste of fresh blood trickled down her tongue and throat, she held herself tightly as a small orgasm made her body tremble. It had been so long since she had tasted fresh human blood. She had so little servants and so much to prepare for that she couldn't afford to feed from one of them. Instead, she had to resort to feeding off of the blood of the various animals the dared come anywhere near her home. And there weren't that many to begin with.

"We can begin whenever you want." Ron said as he walked to the desk. The Countess turned and was face to face with the small mirror Ron had left standing and saw that in the reflection her eyes had changed to a blood red. With a small growl and concentration, the mirror shattered into several pieces. Ronald was startled for a moment as the Countess rubbed her head. Normally, a small feat would be simple. But since she hadn't fed in so long, the effort caused her a great deal of pain.

"What happened to,"

"It's an old castle, Mr. Stoppable. Probably a small stone from the ceiling." The Countess said as her eyes returned to their normal color.

"Most likely." Ronald said, not shaking the feeling that his mirror broke by some other means. "All you have to do is sign the places I've marked with a small x." he said to her as he laid out the papers on his desk. "I don't want to be rude or sound ungrateful, Countess, but; I don't like being locked inside my room all day. I thought I was a guest, not a prisoner." Ron said as the older woman in front of him wrote her name.

"As I said, this is an old castle. My servants are doing their best to repair it, but there are areas that are very treacherous. You wouldn't want to get hurt, would you?" she asked him.

"Of course not. But,"

"You may explore the castle if you wish. But I must emphasize that some areas are off limits. The castle is very dangerous, and I would hate for something – unfortunate – to happen to you. Do you understand?" she asked as she glared at him. It was easy to see that what she was saying wasn't just a warning, but a threat as well. Something in Ronald's gut that this woman was fifty miles of bad road, and probably a good idea not make her angry.

"I understand." Ron said quickly as he gulped down a small lump that had formed in his throat.

"Wonderful." The Countess said with a pleasant smile. "I believe that's all the papers I need to sign." She said and handed the small stack to him.

Ron quickly glanced at them to make sure before setting them down. "That's all. Then I'm proud to tell you that you are now the new owner of Carfax Abbey as well as the other various locations in London." Ron said as he set the papers down and noticed the address of one of the locations the Countess had purchased.

"Whitechapel? Ma'am, you are aware that is a rather undesirable location of London? As well as the infamous Jack the Ripper murders that occurred there? Ma'am?" Ronald asked, but saw that her gaze was fixed onto something else. Her face looked as if she had seen a ghost as he followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the photograph of Kimberly. "Ma'am?" he asked one more time.

"I-I'm sorry." She said as her features began to falter. "May I ask w-who this woman is?" she asked as she picked up the small framed photo.

"That's my fiancé, Kimberly."

"Fiancé?"

"Yes. We've known each other are whole lives. We're supposed to be married once I return." Ronald said and saw how she kept gazing at Kimberly's picture. Her eyes appeared to be filled with a strange desire. "Have you ever been married?" Ron asked.

"I – I was almost married. It seems so long ago." She said as she gently stroked the picture like she would stroke the face of a lover. "She will undoubtedly make a – wonderful wife." The Countess said as she reluctantly handed the picture back to Ronald. When their hands briefly touched, Ronald could help but notice how cold her flesh felt. Like he had just grazed stones that had been left in out in a winter's blizzard.

"I need you to write a letter to your firm and to your family. Inform them that you will be staying in my company for a month." The Countess said to him.

"A month?" Ronald asked her in confusion.

"I am dying here, Mr. Stoppable. I need to be in the midst of the whirling mass of humanity. And if I am to move to London, then I need you teach me all you know about it." She said with grace and charm. But even with her looks and all the charm in the world, the strong sense of doubt still made itself known in Ronald's mind.

"But must it be that long?" he asked her with a nervous chuckle. That's when her features grew stern once more as she stepped uncomfortably closer to Ronald.

"I will take no refusal." She almost growled before turning away and leaving. What had Ronald gotten himself into this time?

* * *

Those letters the Countess had him write was a mistake. There was nothing he could do about that now, they had been mailed to England the same time the final paperwork had. He had been here a week, and most of the castle was off limits to him. Either the doors were locked, or one of the servants was placed in a certain hallway or stairwell to make sure Ronald didn't come anywhere near there. It seemed the only friend he had in the castle was Yori, but there wasn't too much she could do. The best she could was to warn him where not to go and offer her shoulder to him whenever he need to speak or vent his rage. He barley talked to the Countess at all ever since she had signed those papers. But one thing Ronald had noticed was that his picture of Kimberly had gone missing. That was another thing that drove shivers down Ron's spine. The way she had looked at Kimberly's photo. It wasn't quite lust, but it was some kind of want. A strong undeniable desire was in that woman's eyes. But why Kimberly? They had never met before. Kim had traveled before in the past, but never this far to Europe. So how could this woman know Kimberly at all.

That night, Ronald had come to a decision. The Countess was planning something, and buying all that property in London had something to do with it. Ron needed to find out what it was. Ronald had guessed that someone might check on him to make sure he was sleeping. So he pretended to do so for almost two hours before his guest proved to be right. He hadn't seen who it was, but he heard someone enter and check on him. After he left, that was when Ron decided to explore the castle further. So now here he stood, wondering the dark halls of the castle with only a candle as his only light. The servants were either working or resting by this time. That meant the only thing that stood in his way were the locks on the doors. From what Ron had seen in the days he had been here, it looked like not that much had been changed since the castle had been built. Hopefully, the locks had aged enough for him to pick them and see what was being hidden. Even though Ronald had been careful to move as quietly and slowly as possible to avoid detection, he could help but get the feeling that he was being watched. Almost like the shadows and the walls that surrounded him had eyes and ears.

Ron closed his eyes for a brief minute to try and shake the thought from his head. The last thing he needed was to get scared and give away where he was right now. As he opened his eyes, he focused his attention to traveling down the darkened hallway. The few times he had walked down here, he had seen one door that always had a guard by it. On it was the Countess' crest made out of pure gold with a few red rubies set into it. Ronald guessed that the door must be of some great importance. He just hoped it wasn't the Countess' room. Just because the only time he saw her was during the night didn't mean she wouldn't be in there. He just hoped he was close now. He could hear the sounds of something scratching at the stone walls or the wooden beams above. It might just be the sounds of rats he was hearing, but that offered little comfort to him. The further he traveled down the hall, he could feel more of fear's icy grip take more control of his mind and body. When he finally came to the door he was looking for, a sigh of relief escaped from him that almost blew out his candle's flame.

Ron began to search his pockets for the few items he had brought with him that he thought may be able to pick the door's ancient lock. As he searched his pockets, he felt his arm brush against the large oak door and heard the metal hinges of it creak. Ron looked back and saw that the door had partially opened before him, showing that the room inside was already well lit. He had come this far, he might as well go even further. Screwing his courage, Ron opened the door enough to where he could slip in. With each creak of the metal hinges, he cringed in fear. Over and over in his mind, he kept begging that no one heard that. Once there was enough space, Ronald quickly slipped inside and closed the door behind him. As Ron gazed at his surroundings, his eyes grew wide in complete astonishment. The room was three times the size of the room Ronald had been staying in, with a bed so large that it looked like it could fit seven people on it. The bed had large goose feather pillows, sheets of fine silks, and sheer curtains of purple that covered the windows. Above the bed were several large mirrors that had been pieced together to form one large mirror. Ronald had heard of narcissism, but this was ridiculous. Around the room were several large wardrobes of unique design. The style and craftsmanship of each them suggested that perhaps they came from the orient. And hanging on the wall, next to the door, was a large painting that almost took up the entire wall.

In the painting were two figures. One of them Ronald immediately recognized. It was the young man Ronald had seen a portrait of when he first arrived at the castle. But this portrait was different, though. The young man was more relaxed and not so stiff or fierce looking. In fact, the young man looked more like a woman in this portrait. But his attention was drawn to the young woman. It was also the same woman from the other painting, but also more relaxed as well. Her red hair was now free flowing about her shoulders, and you could see her face more clearly. When Ron saw how green the young woman's was, his mind almost went into shock! The young woman in the painting looked exactly like his fiancé! Identical in every way! But how can that be? This painting was over hundreds of years old.

"_Ronald."_ A voice whispered to him. It was but a whisper, but the voice sounded and felt so familiar to him.

"Who's there?" Ron asked as he turned around, but saw no one else in the room.

"_Ronald, please come to me."_ The voice whispered again.

"K-KP?" he asked. "KP, a-are you here?" he asked as he began to feel strangely lightheaded. It was almost as if the entire room was trying to turn upside down.

"I'm over here, Ronnie." The voice said, louder and much more clearly. Ron looked to one of the windows near the bed, where he thought the voice was coming from. The curtain were blowing in the wind, but there was someone there. He could see their silhouette in the moonlight. He could see from the curves and motions of the figure that it was a woman. Could it be the Countess? No, the Countess was taller than this person. Who was it? "Come to me, Ronald. Let me hold you in my arms again." She said as the woman stepped forward and into the candlelight.

Ron's head began to swim as the woman stepped closer to him. He rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking up again and gasped at what he saw. She was wearing a flowing, almost transparent, gold dress. But it's wearer was Kimberly Anne Possible!

"But – you're i-in London." Ronald said as he began to feel like he was going to fall.

"No, Ronald. I'm here. With you." She said as she blew out the candle in his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt like Kimberly, it smelled like Kimberly. Could it be her? But how? And why? This didn't make any sense.

"I – I don't feel well." He said as he began to lean more into the grasp of the woman that was with him.

"I'm here, Ronald. Let me help you." She whispered to him and gently kissed him on his lips. My God, it even tasted like Kimberly. Was it really her? Could she really be here with him? As Ronald asked himself these questions, Kimberly carefully maneuvered him toward the bed and eased him down gently until he was siting on the edge of the soft mattress. "Love me, Ronald." She said as she stroked his cheek and his jaw.

"What?"

"Love me, Ronald. Take me in your arms and show me how much you love me." She said as she softly planted a kiss on his cheek.

"But – we're not – not married yet. Y-you told me – t-that you – wanted to wait." Ron panted as he felt the heat in the room start to increase. With every word she said, he could feel his passion for her grow more and more. It was as if his body and mind were at war, trying to figure out wht to do next.

"Don't you love me?" she asked him as she looked at him with sad eyes. The same look that a lost puppy would give when it was lonely.

"Of course I love you." Ronald said as the heat in the room seemed to rise even more. Each breath he took was becoming a heavy pant; his lungs feeling like he had been holding his breath for hours.

"Then love me." Kimberly said as she grasped his lips with hers once more and lightly bit his lower lip, drawing a pleasurable moan from Ron. She kissed his cheek one more time before her lips began to graze his ear. "Make love to me." She whispered to him as she straddled his lap.

The dizziness in his mind and the heat in the room were growing too much for him. He couldn't resist her anymore. He had wanted to make love to Kimberly for so long. To hold her and show her how much he loved and wanted her had been his one desire for so long that he could no longer wait. He wrapped his arms around her wait and pulled her tightly to him as he leaned in and began to kiss and nibble along her neck. Her moans of pleasure added fuel to the flames of his desire. This is what he wanted. He wanted to please her, to make her feel how he felt whenever he was with her. His kisses began traveling downward, kissing every muscle in the side of her neck as he began to kiss her along her collarbone. Her skin and sweat tasted so sweet, just like had imagined. He felt himself falling backwards as she pushed him down onto the bed. Their lips embraced each other again as his hands felt every muscle in her body as they both panted and sighed for breath.

"KP, I love you so much. I've always dreamed of this." He whispered to her as their lips parted and she nipped at his neck.

"Then let me make your dreams come true." She said to him as she pulled open his shirt and kissed his chest. Ron was so lost in the sensations he was feeling that he didn't notice how Kimberly flinched as soon as his Star of David medallion was exposed. But he did hear her gasp she grabbed the medallion and pulled it free from his neck.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, my love." She said as she kissed his chest and bit down on his nipple, causing him to throw his head back as he moaned.

Ron was lost in the pleasure and sensations he was feeling. It was almost as if he was between worlds at that moment. Between drunk and sensible, alive and dead. He could feel her kisses traveling further down, going past his ribs and down his abdomen. The pleasure and joy of it was almost too much for him. He wanted the sensations to continue forever. Until he felt something bite his left arm. With part of his pleasure-induced stupor broken, Ron looked to see what had happened and jumped slightly when he saw one of the servants on the bed with them. She was wearing a pink dress as her long black hair flowed free as she kissed his arm. She was kissing where something had bitten him. Wait, that wasn't right. He could see the bite marks on his arm. They were human bite marks, and they were bleeding. And she was licking at the blood that was flowing from the wound!

"What are you doing?" Ronald demanded as he tried to sit up, but his head still felt like it was spinning too much.

"Don't leave now. You taste so wonderful." The servant girl almost begged him as she looked up at him with her pink lips covered in smeared blood as she purred like a wild cat. Ron's heart began to beat faster and faster as he saw the servant girl's eyes change from a deep brown to blood red.

"K-KP! Kimberly, we have to,"

"She's not here."

Ron looked down and was horrified to see that the woman that was on top of him wasn't Kimberly at all! Instead, it was the servant with the tanned skin. The one the Countess had called Bonnie.

"We knew there wasn't any other way you'd join us. Sorry for the deception. Wait. No, I'm not." She said with a wide smile, showing a pair of fangs growing over her incisors while her eyes also turned to a deep blood red. Ron started hyperventilating at the sight before him. This was unreal! It wasn't possible! Ron tried to sit up once more, but he screamed in pain as the brunette woman sank her fangs into his side and began to drink the blood that flowed from the fresh wound.

"It would feel so much better if you would just relax." The other girl said as she bit into his arm again, causing Ron to shout in pain once more.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Yori shouted, entering the room as soon as she heard Ron shouting.

"Yori! Help me, please!" Ron begged as he reached for the only friend he had in the castle.

"Join us, Yori. His blood tastes so incredible when you compare it to all the peasants here." Bonnie said as she sat up and licked the blood from her lips.

"Yori, please!" Ron begged her.

"Th-this isn't right. This is wrong." Yori said as she began to back away.

"Now Yori," Bonnie said as she wiped her finger across the wound she had given Ronald; making sure she coated her finger in blood. "We've had this talk before." She said as she coated her lips and tongue in Ronald's blood as she walked to the young Japanese woman.

Faster than Ron could follow, Bonnie grasped Yori's face in her hands and deeply kissed the young woman. Deepening the kiss as much as she could, Bonnie made sure that she was coating the young woman's lips in the young man's blood. When Bonnie finally broke their kiss, she could see the youngest servant savoring the taste of the blood.

"You know we believe in sharing." Bonnie said as she pulled Yori closer to Ron.

Ronald was more than scared now. He was so terrified that he didn't know what to think or what to do. It wasn't long before Bonnie had forced Yori down on top of Ron, and both were gazing into each other's eyes. Ron could see Yori was hurt about something as she looked. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Yori, please. Help me." Ron begged her.

"You know you want to." Bonnie whispered into her ear as she gazed at Ron with her blood red eyes and liked her lips once more.

"Yori,"

"I'm sorry, Stoppable-san." She said as her eyes changed into a deep blood red as well. "But – I can't fight it. I'm so hungry." She said as she leaned in and kissed him on his lips. He didn't move or respond to the kiss, but she understood why. "Please, forgive me." She said as lowered her head, gently kissed the nape of his neck twice, and sank her fangs into his flesh.

Ron gasped as she bit him and began to drink his blood. He would not ever admit it, but Yori did make it feel almost pleasurable. She wasn't trying to gorge herself on his blood, but trying to give him as little pain as possible. It was the least she could do for her friend.

"Look at that. The young blood has talent." The other servant girl chuckled while Bonnie bit into his abdomen once more.

"**HOW DARE YOU!"** a loud voice thundered, sounding like that of an enraged dragon. The large oak door flung open, almost torn from its hinges as the Countess appeared above them. Rage filled every single feature on her face as her eyes blazed with a deeper red than that of the other. She let out a roar similar to angry lion as she glared and growled at the three young women.

**"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HIM, HE IS MINE! BACK!"** she screamed, making Bonnie and the other girl leap off the bed and cower in a corner of the room that close to a window. Yori stayed on the bed, using herself as a barrier between Ron and the Countess. This selfless act of courage only seemed to enrage the Countess even more as she grabbed Yori by the back of her hair tightly. **"I SAID BACK AWAY! ALL OF YOU!"** she screamed as she threw Yori toward the others and towered over them like a fearsome gargoyle.

"Why should we listen to you? YOU'VE NEVER LOVED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE!" Yori screamed at the Countess.

"**I HAVE LOVED ONE PERSON WITH MORE PASSION THAN YOU THREE INSUGNIFICANT BITCHES CAN EVER HOPE TO DREAM!" **she screamed, sounding more and more animal than human with every word. After taking a few deep breaths, she turned her gaze to the painting that hung on the wall, and looked directly at the young redhead that was in it. **"And soon, I shall love again."** She said, mainly to herself. "I have had to accelerate my plans. Tomorrow, I set sail for England. _Then_ he shall be yours." She said as she turned to face the three young women before her.

"And tonight?" the young servant with the dark hair asked.

"What of it?"

"We have not eaten in three days! Are we to have nothing tonight?" Bonnie demanded.

"Do you honestly think I forget those who serve me so well?" she asked them.

It was then that everyone in the room noticed the burlap sack she was carrying, and the movement within it. The Countess tossed it to the three of them, with Bonnie eagerly catching. The three young women could smell the fresh blood that was in it. Very fresh, like a rare wine. Bonnie and the other servant crowded over the bag as Bonnie opened it, but Yori quickly looked away in horror as she closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. When the cries of the newborn baby inside began to echo throughout the room, Ron shook his head in horror.

"No! NO!" Ron screamed as the cries of the newborn grew faint, and the sounds of the two young women feeding grew louder. Yori stood and tried to run away, but the Countess quickly caught her by her chin and forced her to look at the two feeding vampires.

"I know you're starving. I can hear it in your breathing." The Countess said.

"I can not. I don't want to." Yori wept as she began to cry. But what fell from her eyes were not normal tears. Instead, they were tears of blood.

"You must." The Countess said as she forced Yori to stand next to her fellow servants. "You'll never grow old, and you will never die. But you _must_ feed." She said to Yori as she licked some of the tears of blood from her face.

Ron didn't want to believe what he was seeing as he felt the bile in his stomach rise to his throat. But there was no denying it. He saw Yori crouching down with the other two girls, and could soon hear the sounds of her feeding along with the other two. As the three girls fed, the Countess turned her attention toward him.

"Wh-what in God's name are you?" he asked her.

"If it helps, the mother died quickly. She felt no pain." The Countess said as she stepped toward Stoppable, but he only backed away from her as far as he could until he found himself falling off the edge of the large bed. "I will not feed from you. That was my mistake with Lipski. But I do thank you for the knowledge you've shared with me this past week. As well as the use of your journal. Both shall be very useful to me." She said to him with a smile as she reached into the bosom of her dress. She then removed a small framed picture that Ron instantly recognized. "And I do hope you won't miss this."

"Kimberly! W-what are you,"

"Enjoy your stay here, Mr. Stoppable. Even though they can sometimes be selfish, my servants are quite skilled at entertaining our guests." She said as she began to leave.

"No! No, you can't! NO! **NO!**" Ron screamed as he bolted after her, but soon found the door closed in his face. Ron pounded on the door as hard as he could and tried to open it, but the door refused to budge. "NO! LEAVE HER ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE! KP! KIMBERLY!" Ron screamed as loud as he could as he continued to pound on the thick wooden door.

"Now I, Mr. Stoppable, am bound for England." The Countess said as she let loose a sinister and cold laugh that would have made the dead turn in their graves.

* * *

**The Demeter**

Lighting flash and illuminated the cloud cover sky as sheets of cold, hard rain pelted the crew of the ship. Ever since they had left port, the storm had been as constant as the Northern star in the night sky. Desperate to try and keep the ship afloat and in one piece, the crew was doing their best to try and tie off the sails. At the helm of the ship, the captain and first officer were doing their best to make sure that they stayed true to their course.

"What's our bearing?" the captain shouted over the torrents of rain and howling wind.

"We're still on course, sir. It's damn odd."

"What is?"

"This storm. There was no sign of one when we left port. And now, it's like this thing is guiding us, sir."

"Aye, I've noticed. It's like it's trying to guide us to England. All this wind, and we haven't been blown off course at all. It's not natural." The captain said as another bolt of lightning lit up the darkened skies. "Where's Livingston?"

"Sir?"

"Our lookout! He isn't in the crow's nest!" the captain shouted.

"I think he went below to make sure the cargo was still tied down, sir."

"Then drag his ass up here! I need all the help I can get up here!" the captain shouted.

"Aye, sir!" the first mate said and headed down to the cargo hold as the captain took the wheel.

* * *

Inside the cargo hold, the ship creaked and groaned as it was tossed about on the ocean. There was a little bit of water inside the hold, but that was from above and not the hull of the ship. So far, it looked as all the crates and barrels were still secured and in place. But where was Livingston at? It had been a while since he had come down here. If that man was drinking again, he would personally throw that man overboard and let the sharks decide what to do with them. As the first mate ventured through the maze of crates and barrels, his eyes saw something rather – odd. He could almost swear he saw a pale naked woman with her back turned to him. Her hair was long, all the way down to her backside. It was also a strange shade of gray, almost black. As he took another step closer, the woman turned slightly. It was almost like she could hear him.

As the thunder rumbled outside once more, another wave struck the ship. The ship's sudden shudder caused the first officer to loose his balance and fall face first into the pooled water. As he stood back up and wiped the water from his eyes, the woman was gone. Instead, he saw Livingston sitting on his ass and leaning against his crate. He should have known better. His eyes were playing tricks on him again. Not enough sleep was making him see things again. Time to give Livingston a piece of his mind for sleeping on the job.

"Livingston! On your feet, man! The Captain needs all hands on deck!" he shouted as he walked closer to the crewman. "Are you deaf? Wake up!" he said as he got closer. That was when he noticed that the man's shirt was stained red and that his neck was covered in blood. "Livingston?" he asked as he crouched down to look at the man, and saw that part of his throat had been ripped out.

With a slight yell, the first mate leapt to his feet and stumbled backwards. He could also see the water around Livingston was stained red from all the blood that had spewed from the wound in his neck. There was a murderer on board! The first mate quickly climbed back to his feet and began to run away before he felt something cold wrap around his chest and cover his mouth. Whoever it was had incredible strength as he felt his ribs being crushed and the air squeezed out of his lungs. He began to kick and thrash about as bast as he could as he was drug behind a large stack of crates that had been stamped with the picture of a strange dragon. The last thing he saw was his blood spraying the large crates as a sharp set of finger nails were racked across his neck.

* * *

**Author's Note(s):** Just to clear up a little confusion. In this story, Shego pretended to be a man in the earlier years and called herself Vlad. That way, the people would think a man was in charge and not a woman. Now though, she just really doesn't care anymore.


	3. Storm on the Horizon

**London, England**

It was such a beautiful day. A clear blue sky with no sign of any clouds on the horizon, and a refreshing cool breeze to take the edge off of the rays of the sun climbed higher to its peak, and the wondrous sounds of life and nature in full bloom. It was a day that anyone would enjoy, whether they be a young child at play or a person in the golden years of their life. A few miles outside of the noisy and bustling streets of London, sitting under a gazebo in the middle of a wide and beautifully well kept garden, sat a young woman that tried to hide herself from the rest of the world. Despite the fresh smell of lavender and roses, the day looked as gloomy and dark as if the clouds of a large hurricane had come to rest over London. In her hands was a folded piece of paper that had not even a paragraph written on it. She kept looking at the slip of paper, almost like she was expecting the words written on it to change or explain something more to her. But despite how long she saw there, the world and life continued on as the words remained the same.

"Kimberly?" a very familiar voice asked her, barley gaining her attention. "Kimberly?"

"Morning, Monique." Kimberly said as she looked up for a brief moment.

"Morning? It's almost time for lunch. You've been sitting out here since the sun rose." Monique said as she took a seat beside her best friend and noticed the sad look on the young redhead's face. "Are you still down in the mouth about that letter?" she asked her.

"It just makes me – worried." Kimberly said as she looked at the young black woman. "It isn't like Ron at all."

"Kimberly, you know Ronald prides himself on not being normal."

"But this is different. He almost rambles on and on in each letter he sends me. But this one is so – so cold. If it weren't for his handwriting, I'd swear that someone else wrote this." Kimberly said as she showed the letter to Monique.

"Let's see. 'Dearest Kimberly, all is well here. The Countess has asked me to stay a month and help her prepare for her arrival to London. All my love, Ronald.' It is rather strange, even for him." Monique said.

"But look how it starts. He always writes KP, not Kimberly. And I haven't received a letter from him since. Monique, I'm so afraid." Kimberly said as her eyes looked like they were beginning to fill with tears.

"Maybe he's just busy. He has more responsibility now that he's been promoted. And if he is helping this Countess for a trip to London, then that's going to take them a while." Monique said.

"What do you mean?" Kimberly asked her.

"Remember when he tried to help that retired actor when you were younger?" she asked her friend. In their youth, Ronald had decided to help a retired stage actor come out of seclusion. It took some time and effort, but Ron had succeeded. Mainly, the actor went along with Ronald just so he could finally be rid of him. Now he was once again at the height of his acting career.

"Maybe you have a point." Kimberly said, remembering the shouting fits the old actor would give into at Ron's efforts.

"Besides, I know one thing that would cheer you up. My father is throwing another one of his banquets tonight to try and win over some of London's snobs into investing in another one of his projects." Monique said.

"I don't know, Monique. I don't really feel like dressing up." Kimberly said.

"And let the dress I designed for you go to waste?"

"Sorry, Monique." Kimberly said as she looked at the letter one more time. Monique let a small sigh escape her lips as she looked at her friend.

"I really do envy you, Kimberly." She said, causing the redhead to look up at her.

"Envy me? Why?" she asked.

"Because of you and Ronald. It must be nice having the love of your life in front of you." Monique said.

"It took me quite a while to figure out that Ronald was the one I loved. Besides that, you have three men fighting over you." Kimberly said.

"It isn't as exciting as it sounds, Kimberly. It's more like a headache." Monique said with a bitter laugh as she rubbed her right temple.

"I've been wondering. Who are your suitors?"

"There's your old friend, Dr. Load."

"Wade still has feelings for you?" Kimberly asked.

"Apparently so." Monique said as Kim's grin began to grow wider.

"You do know he's been put in charge of Carfax Asylum. Not to mention his theories and inventions are highly noted."

"I'm aware of that. But to me, Wade will always be the cute little boy that would follow us everywhere." Monique said with a tender smile. "The next man after my heart is an American from Texas. His name is Brick Flagg."

"A Texan?" Kimberly asked, hearing of some of the rumors and stories from different parts of London society.

"Tall, strong, handsome, and the ability to be blunt and charming at the same time." Monique said. "My final would-be Prince Charming is Dustin Vaughn."

"You mean the banker?"

"And aspiring writer. You should see the look on his face when Brick calls him Dusty." Monique said with a chuckle. "But it's also a curse. They're all so charming, and I know all of them would have more than enough to provide for me. But I – I don't know which one to choose. It sometimes feels like I'm butter being spread across too much toast." Monique said.

"I wish I could help, Monique. The only advice I can give is just listen to your heart. It would most likely be a better guide than me or anyone else." Kim said as she gave her friend a tight hug. "And I'll go to the part with you tonight." Kimberly said.

"Good. That way, you can meet them all tonight and I won't have to put up with them alone." She said.

"Why do I have a feeling you set me up?"

"What are friends for?" Monique asked with a broad smile as she stood up and made her way back inside.

"Ron, please be all right." Kimberly whispered to herself as she did the same.

* * *

**Carfax Asylum**

A house of horrors, a safe haven for the mentally ill, or the final nail in a dying career in medicine. There were many names for an asylum. There were also many names for the inmates that were locked within it's cage like cells, and the people that worked there and had to care for those who had slipped from sanity's grasp. Inside the asylum, the sounds of insane laughter or uncontrollable sobbing seemed to echo from every wall within the massive structure. In other areas, blood curdling screams almost never ended as various patients were receiving their "treatments" for their conditions. But some of these so-called methods looked more like they had been created by those responsible by the Spanish Inquisition rather than doctors that took an oath to help others. Among the gathered masses of madness, one young and somewhat portly young fellow made his way into a secured office that was also a small flat when work lasted longer than planned. As soon as the door was locked, he placed his hat and coat on a near by coat rack and addressed the older redheaded woman that was reading through several files.

"Morning, Dr. Possible." He said with a rather cheerful disposition as he sat at his desk.

"How many times have I asked you to call me Anne?" she asked him, briefly looking up from the files in front of her.

"I try to keep work separate from everything else. Anything of interest?" he asked as he noticed the file she was reading.

"Nothing much. A former patient by the name of Lawrence Talbot may be returning soon. He's suspected in several killings near Blackmoore. And the new arrival has been rather quiet."

"You mean Drew Lipski?" Wade asked her,

"The same. He's actually been behaving himself for the past week and a half. He's even been carrying on intelligent conversations with a few of the orderlies." Anne said.

"I don't know if this is a good sign, or a bad one." Wade said as he removed his suit jacket and began to put on his white doctor's coat.

"You think he's faking?" Anne asked him.

"It wouldn't be the first time a patient has tried such a stunt. Or this maybe the calm before the storm." Wade said as he finished putting on his coat. "Maybe a small interview is in order." Wade said.

"You're still hoping to solve the riddle of his mind?" Anne said as she grasped clean paper to take notes with as well as a small pen and a small ink bottle.

"Think about it, Anne. If I can solve Lipski's lunacy, then it might lead to a cure for several patients here. Our names would be legends in the fields of medical science." Wade said as they began walking down the corridors of the asylum.

"And Miss Monique might give her hand."

"Oh, be quiet!" Wade said as they made their way to Lipski's cell. "What was he like before he came here?"

"He was a very respectable person. He was a solicitor in a law firm, widely admired by his fellow workers and clients. Well favored in several gentlemen's clubs. This man was a very highly respected member of high society."

"When did he start showing signs of a mental breakdown?" Wade asked.

"It was a business trip to Transylvania. He was working for a foreign client and had to travel in order to do business. He had apparently stayed there for several weeks before returning to England. When he did return, he was arrested."

"Does it say why?"

"I have a copy of the police report in his file. Several passengers on the train that was returning to London complained of him eating various insects he would find on the train. He also tried to eat the small dog of one of the passengers, and attacked her when she tried to stop him."

"My word." Wade said, shocked to hear such a sudden breakdown. "Did he kill the passenger?"

"No, but he did injure her. According to the police report, he bit her in the neck. He caused a severe flesh wound, but witness' and the attending physician claimed that it looked like he had been trying to tear her throat out." Anne said.

"What a charming, gentleman." Wade said sarcasticly.

It wasn't long before the two of them finally came to steel door with a small opening in the top, covered by a sliding flap in the top half of it while a small door at the bottom of it. Wade pulled the small flap aside and peered into the cell at it's occupant. Inside the cell, Drew Lipski sat on his bed with a pair of reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose while he read a newspaper and held a plate filled with what looked to be strange food.

"Has he already been fed?" Wade asked the orderly that was near by.

"Not yet, sir."

"Then where did the plate come from?" Anne asked.

"He must have hidden it after we retrieved his tray." The man said.

"Where did he get those glasses? No patients here are supposed to have anything that they can sue to harm themselves with." Wade said.

"They're mine, sir. He kept complaining about not being able to read the print. He's been behaving so much, I didn't see the harm in it." The man said.

"And you also provided the newspaper?" Wade asked, and saw the man sheepishly nod his head yes. "Have you gone to a University, sir? Have you studied the ways of medicine, for over four years, and studied the theories of Freud and other like him? Do you have a degree in this field we don't know about?" Wade asked the slightly husky man in front of him.

"N-no, sir."

"Then from now on, my colleague here or myself shall be making the decisions of what this patient is to have, and what they aren't. And if you ever go over my head about this patient's treatment again, I'll have you tossed out on to the streets so fast that you won't even have time to figure out your arse from a hole in the ground! Do I make myself clear?" Wade demanded.

"Y-yes, sir." The orderly said.

"Good. Now open the door." Wade demanded.

After fumbling with the keys for a moment or two, the orderly quickly had the cell door unlocked and opened it as the old iron hinges protested as they turned. As Wade and Anne entered the cell, Lipski looked up from his paper with a small smile as he stood to his feet and gave a quick nod to the duo.

"A pleasure as always, Dr. Load and Miss Possible." Lipski said.

"Morning, Mr. Lipski." Wade said to him.

"Would either you like a quick snack? These are quite filling." Lipski said as he handed the plate to Wade and Anne. Both were repulsed at the plate's content's as they saw it was filled with crawling roaches, centipedes, ants, and various other insects.

"I mean no offence when I say this, Mr. Lipski. But your dietary choice is absolutely disgusting." Wade said as he pushed the plate away.

"I assure you, they are quite nutritious. More so than the what some of these people here choose to eat." Lipski said as he sat back down on his cot and resumed reading his paper.

"I understand that you've been rather quiet lately." Wade said as Anne removed the pen and ink-bottle, and began to take notes.

"You mean not acting like a mad ape like so many others?" Drew asked Wade.

"That's one way of putting it."

"That's simple, my dear lovesick doctor. I'm waiting for someone." Lipski said calmly.

"Whom might that be?" Anne asked him.

"My Master."

"What?" Wade asked him.

"My Master. I have made sure everything is ready, and I await for my rewards." Drew said as he plucked a grasshopper from his plate and ate it like it was a piece of candy.

"Why do you eat those?" Wade asked him.

"They are part of my reward. The blood is the life, and it flows into me. My salvation depends on it." Drew said.

"Salvation?" Wade asked himself as he and Anne looked at each other, both perplexed by what Drew was telling them.

"You don't the greater picture. My Master has promised something great for me, something grand. The Master has promised to give me everlasting life." Drew said with a look of pure bliss on his face while his features began to look more sadistic. More primal in certain ways as he grabbed a handful of bugs and stuffed them in his mouth, licking his lips in case he had missed anything.

Wade quickly nodded his head, signaling for Anne to leave the cell as quickly as she possibly could. As Anne backed away, Wade kept his eyes on Drew. "That's very interesting, Lipski. We'll have to – have another chat sometime." Wade said as he backed out of the cell, and signaled the orderly to close it as soon as he was out. "Keep that door locked and Lipski under constant observation." Wade said as he and Anne began to walk back toward his office. He had dealt with various forms of madness ever since he came to work at the Asylum. People who believed they were somewhere else, other who had committed the most gruesome of murders because they thought they were killings monsters, but this one man terrified Dr. Load. He didn't know if it was because the man was so calm when he explained of his delusions, or if it was the way his face seemed to change into that of a smiling vicious animal. It almost reminded Dr. Load of a hyena he had once seen at the London Zoo.

"So do you have any theories yet?" Anne asked him.

"Nothing sound. Whatever caused this severe mental breakdown obviously happened while he was in Transylvania."

"Agreed. But what could he have seen to cause such dementia?" Anne asked him.

"I'm almost scared to ask that myself." Wade said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Don't obsess over it. If you do, you might be the next patient here."

"Very funny, Anne. I've been meaning to ask, are you coming to Monique's party tonight? I'm sure your daughter will be there." Wade said.

"Not tonight, I'm afraid. I'll be finishing a few notes and some paperwork here, tonight. And with Kimberly worried about Ronald, I think the last thing she needs is a doting mother hovering around her." Anne said to him.

"Then I'll send her your regards. But if anything happens here, send for me at once." Wade said to her.

"Understood." Was all Anne said as she folded her notes and placed them in a pocket that was separate from the one that contained the bottle of ink.

Inside his cell, Lipski continued to read the paper as he ate what was left of his small and crawling meal. As he began to turn the page once more, he stopped briefly. He looked up for a brief moment and sniffed a few times. It was as if he discovered a strange odor in his cell. He sniffed the plate briefly before raising one arm and smelling himself. He lowered his head and sniffed the paper with a deep inhale, but was unable to find the source of the odor. As he sat up, he took in one more deep breath and opened his eyes wide. Like a blood hound that was hot on the trail of a fresh scent, his nose began sniffing and snorting like mad as he followed it to his barred window and pressed his face in between the bars. As soon as his head was wedged in between the small polls of iron, he closed his eyes and began to deeply breath in the fresh air and gusts of wind that blew by the cell window. After taking one more deep breath, he opened his eyes and began to smile broadly as he giggled like a little child on Christmas morning.

"Master." Was all he whispered before he began to laugh to maniacally to himself.

* * *

The moon hung high in the evening sky as the cool air flowed through out the land on the wings of the light breeze and the strong winds. At the large manor where Monique resided, bright lanterns illuminated the walkway to the large doors so the guests would not loose their step. Inside the massive home, the smell of brandy and fine cut cigars were heavy in the air and over powered the smell of all the finely prepared food that had been set out on two long and large tables. While everyone in their gown of fine imported cloth and stiff and starched business suits talked about being masters of the universe, Kimberly and Monique stood in a small corner that was clear of all the smugness of their guests.

"You look like you're bored out of your mind." Monique said as she sipped on a glass filled with a small amount of wine.

"I know you grew up in this type of atmosphere, but I can't really stand being in the room with so many snobs." Kimberly said to her.

"Neither can I. Why do you think I'm standing over here with you? If I here anyone else talk anymore about themselves or how much money they have, I'm going to scream." Monique said as she frowned at the bitter taste of her wine. "I really don't see what people like about wine either." She said as she set her glass on the table.

"They probably drink it so they can get drunk." Kimberly said, causing both to giggle slightly. "Aren't your three gentlemen in waiting supposed to be here?" Kimberly asked.

"They're supposed to be, but I don't see,"

"Mr. Brick Flagg, esquire." The butler near the door announced.

"Speak of the devil." Monique said as they turned to face the main foyer.

Kim's gaze widened slightly as she saw the tall young man enter with a large brimmed brown hat on his head. She assumed it was what the Americans refereed to as a cowboy hat since it looked like Mr. Flag would certainly fit the criteria of what was known as a cowboy. He was a strapping young man, with what looked to be a fifty-seven inch chest. His dirty blonde hair reach to just down below his ears while a thick mustache sat on his upper lip and a partial goatee covered his chin. He wore a brown suit with a long, large coat covering his mammoth frame. As soon as the coat was removed, around his waist was a leather belt that held several bullets and a holstered two six shooter pistols on both his left and right side.

"Where is he from, again?" Kimberly asked.

"From Texas. He claims everything is bigger there, if you get my meaning." Monique said with a sly grin as Kimberly gasped at what she meant.

"You are so wickedly indecent!" Kimberly said, pretending to be offended.

"Mr. Dustin Vaughn!" the servant proclaimed as another guest arrived. He was tall, but not nearly as tall as Mr. Flag. His brown hair was slicked and combed back as a neatly trimmed pencil thin mustache decorated his face.

"That's the other suitor?" Kimberly asked.

"It is. He treats me like I'm the Queen of England." Monique said as they both saw Monique and began to make their way toward her. "Excuse me for a minute, Kimberly." Monique said as she went to entertain her two special guests.

As Monique talked with her admirers, Kimberly decided to refresh her drink. She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of her friend as she watched the two men fawn over her. She loved Ronald with all her heart and hoped to see him again very soon. But to have more than one gentleman trying their best to win your heart and affection, to prove his heart to you; she couldn't help but sigh a little bit and be somewhat envious. Such things she had only heard about and read in various novels of fantasy and chivalry. As she refilled her glass and glanced at the large table's offering of various foods and snacks, she was surprised to see her friend Dr. Wade Load drinking a rather generous amount of wine as he focused his gaze at something in the room.

"Wade, when did you get here?" she asked him, delighted to see another friendly face.

"Not too long ago. Your mother sends her regards." He said as he gave a slight polite bow to his friend.

"Still making my mother slave away with work at the asylum?" Kimberly asked.

"Sometimes, I think she enjoys working there more than I do." Wade said as he returned his gaze again.

"How is the asylum, out of curiosity?" Kimberly asked.

"It's like the food on the table. Too many nuts." Wade said rather sternly, his attention still focused elsewhere. Already knowing what he was most likely glaring at, she turned and saw that he kept his sight set on Monique as she flirted with the Texan and Mr. Vaughn. Her heart went out to her young friend as she imagined the heart break he must be feeling.

"I'm sorry, Wade. I know you care for her." Kimberly said, hoping to find some words of comfort for him.

"As the old saying goes, you live and you learn. I just thought that she might at least glance my way now that I'm a doctor." Wade said.

"Wade, you didn't do all that just to impress Monique. Did you?" Kimberly asked him.

"Of course not. But I thought that if I finally became a member of her class, then maybe she would at least take notice of me." Wade said glumly as he finished his drink.

"Don't worry, Wade. I'm sure there's someone out there for you." Kimberly said, trying to comfort him.

"Until then, at least I can ease my suffering by plunging myself into work." Wade said.

Before Kimberly could say anything else, the subtle and faint sounds of thunder began to softly rattle the house, causing a few to look outside the windows and to the cliff side view of the water outside. Kimberly, Monique, as well as her suitors, quickly made their way to the window and gazed outward. Even though it was far away, they still knew by just the sight of it alone was the fact that a massive storm was heading their way from the ocean and it would be on top of them soon. The thunder could already be clearly heard as they saw sparks of lightning flash in the distance.

"Would you look at that?" Monique said in awe.

"I haven't seen a storm that big since a blue northern blew through Huntsville." Brick said.

"What's a blue northern?" Mr. Vaughn asked.

"It's one of the mother of all storms that you sure as hell don't want to see while you're outside." Brick said as one of the servants entered the room and quickly walked to Wade, carrying a slip of paper in his hands.

"Dr. Load?"

"Yes?" Wade asked as he turned to face the servant.

"A messenger brought this for you. He said it was quite urgent."

Wade quickly took the piece of paper and dismissed the servant as he opened the message and began to read it. As he read, his eyes began to slightly widen in shock as he gripped the paper tighter.

"Wade, are you all right?" Monique asked as she noticed the apparent shock in his features.

"I have to leave. There's trouble at the asylum that I must attend to." Wade said quickly as he began to turn and leave.

"Is it something serious?" Kimberly asked him.

"I hope not. Excuse me." Wade said as he grabbed his hat and his coat before finally leaving.

* * *

By the time Wade had returned to the asylum, the storm had moved in over London and was unleashing its fury down upon the city. Sheets of cold rain pelted everything in sight, making it feel as if people were being stung by cold needles while the wind blew with enough force to topple over several carriages. As Wade made his way through the Asylum halls, he could hear the screams and shrieks of every inmate there. It was as if the storm had caused every one of the lunatics to go into some sort of strange mad frenzy. When Wade reached his office, hoping to find Anne, he found that the office was completely deserted. Quickly shedding his coat and jacket, Wade grabbed his white overcoat as he traveled further into the bowles of the asylum before he finally one frightened and panic stricken orderly.

"Where's Dr. Possible?" Wade asked, grabbing the man tightly by his arm.

"W-who?" the orderly asked.

"Anne Possible! Where is she?" Wade demanded.

"Th-the operating theatre! One of the patients escaped and started screaming bloody lunacy!" the orderly said.

"Escaped? Which patient was it?"

"The one that eats those damn bugs! Lipsky!" the orderly said before breaking Wade's grip on his arm and running away. With the newly found information in his mind, Wade quickly ran as fast as he could until he finally found the shattered main entrance into the operating theatre and ran in.

Inside the massive round room, Lipski stood near a large window at the top of the seats while Anne and several orderlies were doing their best to surround him. At least two orderlies were holding straight jackets for Lipski while other's held ropes in their hands in hopes to try and contain him.

"Anne!" Wade shouted as he joined his fellow doctor.

"It's about time you got here!"

"What happened? How did he escape?" Wade asked her.

"The glasses that idiot gave him earlier. He was able to use them to pick the lock on his cell. When the storm started to blow in, he ran through the asylum, screaming about his bloody master. He won't respond to me or any of the others at all." Anne said to him.

"Let me try to speak to him. He seemed to like me earlier today." Wade said and began to cautiously make his way toward the escaped lunatic.

"THE MASTER HAS FINALLY COME FOR ME! THE MASTER HAS COME!" Lipski screamed as loud as he possibly could, holding his hands into the air as if they were trying to reach for something. "The angles prepare for the coming of the bride. But when the bride draws near, the angles weep not." Lipski said to himself, almost like it was a prayer.

"I think he's had a revelation. He may have found God." Anne whispered to Wade as they still made their way toward Lipski.

"I hope not. Insanity of his type and religious fervor are a highly dangerous combination." Wade said as they finally reached Drew and saw that he was now squatting on the floor and licking his skin and clothes as if he were some sort of cat. "Mr. Lipski, what are you doing?" Wade asked him.

"I'm cleaning myself." Drew said in between licks. "I must prepare. I have to be clean, to be presentable when my Master finally arrives." Drew said as he resumed his self-grooming.

"Lipski, you're bugs are gone." Wade said, hoping to distract him long enough for him to be bound in a straight jacket. "All your flies and spiders are gone, Lipski. What happened to them?"

"They await for the arrival of the Master of all life." Lipski said with a very wide grin and a sinister chuckle. "The Master has come and shall make me immortal."

Before Wade had even realized what had happened, Lipski had jumped back onto his feet and firmly grasped Wade by the coat as he bit into Wade's pudgy neck as hard as he could! Wade screamed at the sudden pain as he tried pushing Lipski off of him as the lunatic kept adding more and more pressure into the bite. Out of fear and worry for her friend and colleague, Anne grasped the inkwell that was still in her pocket and smashed it into the side of Lipski's head! The inkwell shattered on impact, covering half of Lipski's face and head in thick black ink that mixed with the fresh blood that flowed from the embedded shards of glass. Lipski recoiled in pain, letting Wade go as he fell to the floor. Wade quickly applied his hand to his neck in case Lipski had broken the skin as Anne pulled him a safe distance away from the mad man.

"BIND HIM! BIND HIM, NOW!" Wade screamed to the orderlies as he checked his hand to make sure there was no blood.

The tallest orderly, the man who had given Lipski the glasses in the first place, lunged forward on top of Lipski with straight jacket in hand. Lipski had seen him coming and was now struggling with the much larger man, trying to keep him from putting the stiff and harsh jacket on him. Even though it had only been a few seconds, it seemed to drag on for what seemed like hours as they wrestled against each other on the floor. The orderly almost had the jacket on Lipski now, and just needed to force it closer as he felt sweat drip down from his head and down into his eyes. Lipski's leg shot upward, colliding with a firm impact to the orderly's crotch and causing the large man to almost collapse on top of him.

Using his opening, Lipski pushed the orderly off of himself and onto the floor with himself now on top. Lipski then wrapped the straight jacket as firmly and as tight as he could around the orderlies neck and pulled. He watched in delight as the fat man's face began to change into a deep red color, before it took on a slight purple hue. The orderly's eyes began to bulge so far out of his head that it looked like that they may soon pop out of his skull like bullets from a gun. As Lipski's grin grew even wider, Drew quickly jerked the jacket to one side with a sickening snap seeming to echo in the room louder than the roar of the thunderclaps outside. Everyone recoiled in horror at Lipski's heinous act while he backed himself against the wall, and pulled the dead man's body into his lap. With the dead orderly's torso propped up in his lap, he began to stroke the hair on the dead man's limp head like it was a small pet while he giggled in delight.

"He'll make a nice pet. I think I'll call him kitty." He said as he giggled madly.

* * *

The wind was blowing so hard that it almost sounded like nature itself was screaming. The workers on the docks at the port of London were doing there best making sure that everything was strapped down and tied down tightly. The last thing they needed was for any of the waiting cargo to be swept away into the ocean. The crew on the few ships that were docked were franticly making sure their anchors were lowered and the sails were secured. As the ocean rocked and churned, rocking the ships as it did so, several sailors straddling the masts had to do their best to hold on and not fall to a certain death. As everyone in the port worked, they began to wonder if the rain that was falling down on top of them wasn't ice from the sheer coldness of the water droplets. As the harbor master kept his eyes on his men, something caught his eye in the distance. He looked out onto the vastness of the ocean before him, but couldn't see anything. Maybe he was exhausted and his eyes were fooling him in his old age. As he was about to turn away, he saw something again. Taking a few steps closer out onto one of the piers, he strained his eyes to their limits to see if there was anything out on the ocean. That was when he saw it. It was sails. He was seeing the fully deployed sails of a ship coming their way. Judging by what he could see of it, it looked to be a cutter ship. They weren't expecting anything for at least another week. And what damn fool captain would dare try and sail his ship out in weather like this? Probably a captain that was drunk on brandy or rum again.

"Mr. Weir!" the harbor master called out.

"Aye, sir?"

"We have a ship heading for us. Start signaling her! Let her know she needs to slow down!"

"Aye, sir!" Weir said and took off to do as he was told.

Reaching into his pocket, the old sailor pulled out a spy glass and extended it as he brought it to his numb face. With they spyglass' help, he could get a better look at the ship as it was being tossed about on the waves. He could clearly see she was a cutter ship all right. As he followed her movements, he tried to get a good look at her bow. Maybe he could see her name. As he did so, he noticed something was rather strange about the ship. Something not quite right. As he continued to keep a careful eyes on the ship, he realized he hadn't seen any crew on her. Not one man could be seen on the deck, the masts, or even at her helm! Where were they?

"Sir, she's not responding!" Weir shouted to the harbor master as he stopped moving and slowly lowered the spyglass. His face was pale, almost as white as fresh snow. Weir saw this and began to grow worried. "Sir?" he called out.

"I don't think sh-she'll respond t-to anything, Mr. Weir." The harbor master said as he took a few steps backwards.

Weir took the spyglass from the harbor master's hands and took a look for himself at the ship. Being younger, his eyes could see more details on the ship as it came closer. It was close enough now that he could see her name was the Demeter. But according to the information he had been told, she wasn't do for a week and a half. As he looked at the ship, he saw the same thing that had frightened the harbor master. The sails that were close to the deck. Their lower sides were covered in what looked to be sprays of blood! He wasn't a superstitious man, but Mr. Weir knew that this was a very bad sign indeed.

"CLEAR THE DOCKS! CLEAR THE DOCKS, SHE'S GOING TO RAM US!" Weir screamed to the other and began bolting down the port. "WE HAVE A RUNAWAY! CLEAR THE DOCKS!" Weir screamed as loud as he could. He didn't know how much time he had, but he had to make sure as many men were clear from the Demeter's path as possible. Every time he glanced out onto the ocean, the cutter ship was closer and closer. It was almost as if the ship had it's own powerful force of wind against her sails, to help guide the ship to its destination. "CLEAR THE DOCKS! RUN! RUN!" Mr. Weir screamed again as a large shadow began to cast over the docks. When he turned around once more, his eyes widened in fear as he saw the Demeter was now on top of him!

Weir ran as fast as he possibly could as he heard the ship crash into the pier. He could feel every board shudder as the dock began to snap into pieces and break away from the frame. With every once of energy he had left, Weir leapt off the dock and fell hard onto the stone ground of the docks as the bow of the Demeter struck home and several boards of its hull snapped inward. Weir sat in a puddle of icy cold water as he looked at the massive darkened ship, doing his best to try and catch his breath. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there with the large ship in front of him. When he felt a hand placed on his shoulder, he screamed as he tried to crawl away and slipped into another, even larger, puddle.

"Weir, are you all right?" one of the dock workers asked him.

"Just – just a little tipsy." Weir said as he stood back to his feet. "Let's get up there and find what the hell was going on." Weir said.

"We already have. Sir, something's wrong with this ship.

Within moments, Weir had followed the dock worker onto the deck of the ship, seeing several others workers were either running away from the deck with their mouths covered or pitching their heads over the side of the ship and vomiting what was in their stomachs into the sea. This didn't bode well at all.

"Tell me one thing. Where's the crew?" Weir asked as he and the dock worker stepped onto the ship, and was greeted with a horrific sight. "Oh my God." Weir said.

"The crew is all over the place, sir." The dock worker said.

The entire deck of the ship was strewn with the bodies of the crew, all of them dead. Several of them looked like they had been dead for days, maybe even weeks. Their skin was deathly white with their open eyes glazed over and cloudy. And with many of them, their throats had been savegly attacked. Some looked as if an animal had attacked and used its teeth to tear the flesh apart while many other looked like their throat had been literally ripped apart. As Weir looked at the ghastly sight, he saw one deck hand strewn across the deck of the ship with almost nothing left of his neck. The wind pipe was gone, with muscle and skin ripped away like torn paper. The only thing keeping the head from rolling away was the skin on the back of the neck and the dead man's spine. Weir covered his mouth to try and prevent himself from vomiting and quickly looked away. As he did, he was able to get a clear look at the ship's helm and wished he had closed his eyes. Lashed to the wheel, was a hand that was balled into a tightly clenched fist. It was gripping the wheel so tight that it looked like the flesh would tear away at the knuckles. Some clothe kept the arm covered, but stopped where the arm had been torn away at the elbow. Pieces of cold, dead flesh dangled in the air with the cloth along with a few strands of ligaments where the arm had once been whole with the elbow. And dangling from the clinched fist was a set of beads that held a blood stained crucifix. Unable to take the sight anymore, Mr. Weir quickly ran toward the railing of the ship, leaned over as far as he could, and watched and felt as the hot contents of his stomach poured out from his throat and mouth and into the cold sea below.

* * *

The ship had finally arrived! It was about time. She had underestimated how long the journey would take. In order to make sure the storm kept the ship on course, she had to consume more blood than she had planned. But she gorged herself too much. Now all of the crew were dead, had been for days. She was strong, but not a s strong as she needed to be. Keeping to the shadows, she climbed out of her hiding place in the cargo hold below. As soon as she entered the night air, the massive aroma hit her like a hot wind on a summer's day. A smell she had longed to inhale again for several centuries. It was the smell of life. The smell of massive life moving about and overpowering the smell of death. So many scents and heartbeats were clashing together all at once that it was making her mouth drool in pure anticipation.

That's when she inhaled the scent of fresh blood coming her way. Men were boarding the ship. No doubt that the crash had drawn unwanted attention. But she wasn't strong yet, she couldn't afford to be seen. Not now, anyway. With effortless ease, she quickly leapt onto the center mast and climbed her way to the crow's nest at the top. With the rain now stopped, she could feel the cold night air brushing against her bare flesh as they drove the storm clouds away. She needed blood. She feasted her eyes on the men below her and begun to see which one would be perfect her. But as she breathed in deeply, she instantly shook her head to be rid of their scent. These men were tainted with a disease! She could smell it in their bodies like the odor of a dead and rotting skunk. Most of them were infected with the disease known as syphilis. She may not be able to succumb to diseases like humans, but some would still be able to maker her weak before they would be flushed out of her body. No, she needed a more purer source of sustenance.

While they were all distracted by her handiwork with the crew, she exited the crow's nest and ran across the mast until she leapt off the ship and into the shadows of the buildings near by. With stealth and speed, she traveled up and down the streets. Hidden in the shadows, she hunted for her prey. But there were so many for her to choose from, it was almost difficult for her to keep her instincts under control. She wanted to grab the first person she saw, but she couldn't! She couldn't draw attention to the ship or the boxes that carried the earth from her homeland. If she was to feast tonight, it had to be far from the dock and far from the city. Climbing to the tops of the roofs, she began to search. She knew London would be large, but didn't guess it would be this big. Her stomach was demanding attention. She had to find food at once!

That was when she saw something in the distance. It wasn't a fire, but it was light. It was a house! It was perfect for her. Far from the city and far from the docks. Yes, that is where she would hunt. That is where she would feed. Diving back into the shadows, she began to run. Faster than any human could see, sparking the attention of the various hounds that walked the streets of London, she made her way to the house she had seen. The streets and houses began to blur, the faster she ran. She kept her attention focused at the task at hand, barley noticing that the buildings were growing fewer and fewer. As she grew closer to the house, the scents of several humans were filling her nose and causing her to crave living blood with a passion that was bordering on lust. But the scents were stale, though. The humans had come and gone ages ago. But as she finally approached the house and leapt over the wall, there was once scent that enthralled her.

It was the smell of youth, pure and clean like driven snow. This scent was like a rare wine that couldn't be found anywhere on Earth anymore. This was what she wanted, what she craved for. Where was it? Damn it, where was the scent coming from? Taking another deep breath of the air around her, she concentrated on the scent. It was – up? How could it be above her? Of course! How stupid it was of her not to realize the source sooner. The second story of the house. That's where the scent was. But how would she get in?

"Hello? Hello? Is there anyone out here?" a young chamber maid asked as she opened the front door. Acting quick, she hid herself in the shadows once more, but she wasn't fast enough. The maid's eyes were looking where she was now hiding. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Say it!"

"I beg your pardon?" the maid asked.

"SAY IT!"

"I don't know what you think you're,"

She knew she was exposing herself to the maid, but it couldn't be helped now. As she stepped partially into the light that came from inside the house, her eyes began to change into a deep blood red. The maid was shocked at the sight of a naked woman at first, but only at first. As soon as her eyes came locked onto the nude woman's red eyes, she became perfectly still.

"You are very beautiful. You know that, don't you?" she asked the maid.

"Oh, thank you." The maid said as she began to blush.

"Please. Do what I am thinking." She said as she gazed deeper into the maid's eyes. "Say it."

"You may enter." The maid said slowly.

"Remember me, won't you?"

"Oh, yes." The maid said with a small smile.

"Good." She said as she slipped back into the shadows, breaking her gaze with the maid.

"Sarah! What do you think you're doing?" another servant called from inside.

"Wh-what?" the maid asked as she shook her head and rubbed her temple.

"What are you doing with the door open?" the maid asked.

"Nothing. I – I thought I saw something." The maid said as she walked back into the house and closed the door.

That was done. Now she could enter the house of her own free will whenever she pleased. With the stealth of a cat, she scaled the walls and followed the intoxicating aroma. The stronger the scent became, the more alive she began to feel in anticipation. Soon, she came to a large balcony that overlooked a small garden, and peered inside through the large window. The scent was coming from the bed. In it and under the bed's covers was a young woman of dark complexion. The scent of her youth was so strong that she was almost suffocating in it! Looking at the window in front of her, she grasped the handle of it firmly and turned it, only for it to stop. It was locked. With a simple and quick jerk of her wrist, she heard the lock snap as she turned the handle fully. As she entered the warm room, she breathed in the young woman's scent and licked her lips in delight. She founder herself looming over the young woman now, and couldn't help but admire how smooth her skin was.

She was fixated on how every vein seemed to throb with each beat of her heart that now begun to thunder in her ears. Kneeling down next to the young woman, she gently and lightly touched her warm skin as she pushed aside part of her sleeping gown. Slowly, she lowered her head and breathed in the smell of the soap she had used not too long ago and enjoyed the feel of the heat her body gave off. She kissed the soft, dark flesh near her collarbone and began to slightly licked her flesh until she reached the nape of the woman's neck. The sounds of the woman's moans of pleasure were more than she could take. Placing one hand on the girl's waist to keep her still, and the other on the young woman's head to grant her access to the vein she needed, she sank her teeth into the soft flesh of the girl's neck and drank the blood the flowed from the wound. As she slept, her moan's of pleasure began to grow more and more in volume as her limbs moved on their own accord.

The taste of the woman's blood was pure pleasure in itself. The taste, the sensation, everything about it was something she hadn't tasted in so long. She could feel her own body grow warm as she drank more of the young girl's blood as her breathing became more heavy labored. Oh yes, she would enjoy England very much.

"Monique? Are you all right?"

No! Not now! She wasn't finished yet! It was no use, she could hear someone coming. She could kill the intruder or knock them unconscious, but it would draw too many questions. She had taken more than enough to make her strong again. When the time came, she would return and drink from the young woman once more. Blood as rare as hers was something to be enjoyed and not wasted. She would be back.

"Monique?" the voice asked, but much closer now. The door to her room opened wide to reveal Kimberly Anne Possible, holding her robe closed around her body. She thought she had heard Monique moaning from her room and wondered if she was all right. But as she stood in the doorway, she saw Monique in her bed and the room was completely empty. The curtains were flowing gently in the wind from the open window, but everything else seemed fine. As gently as she could, Kimberly closed the door to her friend's room and went back to bed. If Kimberly had gone into Monique's room and looked out the window, she would have seen the nude form of a woman leaping over the wall, and running back towards London.


	4. Things Change

**Carfax Asylum**

Anne brushed a few stray strands of her red hair out of her face as she made her way through the corridors of the asylum. As she did so, she noticed a few gray hairs here and there that were mixed with the loose strands. A small sigh escaped her lips as she was reminded she was getting older and wished she knew of a way to cover the small grays that were starting to sprout on the top of her head. As she came closer to Wade's office, she noticed there weren't as many screams and rants as there usually was. So that meant that either most of the inmates were still resting, their medicine was working, or it might be because of something else.

The fact that Drew Lipski, who had escaped and killed an orderly two nights ago, had been bound tightly in a straight jacket and placed under heavy guard may have been a large factor to the quiet in the asylum. From the moment he had arrived, many of his screams and rants had caused many of the inmates to go into a frenzy. It was almost as if Lipski had a strange power over the other lunatics up to a point. Despite being deprived the use of his arms at the moment, Lipski would be at his cell window and screaming at what he calls his master. He would scream on and on about how he has made everything ready, and then he would be begging not to be forgotten and the promise that was made to him. If Lipski kept this up, they may not have any choice but to make him a candidate for a lobotomy. From what Anne could see of lobotomy, it was nothing more than doctors finding an excuse to try and play with and explore what they don't understand.

As Anne opened the door to the office, she was surprised to see a very disheveled Wade sitting at his desk. His vest was gone, and his sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. The collar and first three buttons were undone as what was obviously sweat stains under his arm could clearly be seen. His hair looked slightly matted and unwashed. Almost like he had used his hands to comb it backwards instead of a brush. She also noticed how tired he seemed to be as he held his head in his hands, as well as the dark circles that were under his eyes.

"Were you here all night again?" Anne asked him.

"I stayed in the adjoining bedroom again." Wade said as a wide yawn overcame him. "I informed his family."

"The orderly?"

"Yes. It turns out he had a sister that he was supporting." He said as he pushed his matted hair back again. "Do you know how hard it is to write a letter like that? How do you tell someone that a loved one died because of your own incompetence?" Wade asked.

"You don't actually think that, do you?" Anne asked as she hung up her coat, and saw something next to Wade that made her eyes go wide. Next to him was a syringe, a long thin strip of cloth, and a vial of morphine. "Don't tell me you've been using this on yourself?" Anne demanded as she snatched the vial to check how much was still inside of it.

"Almost. I had the syringe full, and the cloth tied around my arm. But I didn't do it." Wade said as Anne put the vial of morphine away; satisfied that it was still full. Just in case, she took the syringe and examined it carefully. They're was residue inside of it, but she couldn't see and blood on the needle. Setting the syringe aside so she could clean it later, she carefully examined Wade's arms for puncture wounds to make sure he was telling the truth. Satisfied there weren't any, she finally sat in a chair beside Wade. "Satisfied?"

"For the moment." Anne said as exhaled a deep breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Wade, you should honestly know better than that." Anne scolded.

"Excuse the hell out of me, then!" Wade shouted as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I never had anyone under my care die one me. Ever. I've never lost a patient, and until last night," Wade said but stopped short as he took a deep breath to try and regain his composure. He had been doing his best not to cry, and he wasn't about to start know. Not in front of his colleague, and not while he was so disheveled. "They can teach you everything that's known about the workings of the human body. But the one thing they refuse to teach you is how to cope with pain." Wade said to himself.

"Sadly, that's something we all have to learn on our own." Anne said as she watched him wipe away the few tears that had formed in his eyes. "You may want to use your water closet and freashen up." Anne said.

"Why is that?"

"I intercepted a messenger when I arrived at the asylum. It's from Kimberly."

"Is she still offering words of encouragement?" Wade asked bitterly.

"She's asking for your help. Miss Monique has been sick for the past two days."

"What?" Wade asked, his attention at its peak and his mind snapped at the ready.

"Monique has been quite ill for the past two days. A fever, chills, looking slightly pale. She even complains of strange nightmares in her sleep. Should I tell her to expect you, or should I go myself since you're indisposed?" Anne asked him.

"No, I'll go. I just need an hour or two to – straighten myself." Wade said as he walked toward the private room. He knew he had to deal with the fact that someone had died under his watch, but he had other business to attend. It didn't matter if he was in control of the asylum or not, he was a doctor first and foremost.

* * *

**Carfax Abbey**

Inside the abandoned house of worship, several large coffin sized crates sat scattered in the deserted and crumbling chapel. Inside one of the large crates was the Countess who had been sleeping for the past two days. She needed the rest and the time to allow the fresh blood she had drank to take its effect on her. Now, like a butterfly in a cocoon, she was ready to emerge. As she pushed the lid of the crate off with one firm push from her hands, she sat up and began to stretch her slightly sore and stiff limbs. As her eyes adjusted themselves to her new surroundings, she was satisfied to see she was sitting inside the ruins of Carfax Abbey. From the sight of the grand chapel she was sitting in, she could easily tell that it had once been a beautifully crafted church, a grand piece of artwork in itself that must have taken years to construct. But the beautiful hand crafted tapestries were either now gone, or faded and torn from the passage of time. Various sections of the large high vaulted ceiling was destroyed with a few of the stone arches collapsed and allowing part of the walls to cave in on themselves. And many of the stain glass windows were broken and cracked, allowing the rays of the morning sun to be filtered through.

After quickly popping her neck and allowing a yawn to escape her lips, the Countess stood to her full height and left the large crate, brushing as much of the dirt and grime off of her nude body and soft skin. As she began to glance about at the several different crates that were now situated in the chapel, she was trying to find a few crates in particular. Crates that carried certain goods that should have been delivered before her arrival. It wasn't long before she smiled as she found them, sitting side by side in a darkened corner of the Abbey. With effortless ease, she pulled the top of one of the crates off as if it were made of cardboard and was welcomed by the sight of elegant fashions made of the finest materials. She could see gowns of silk, a finely tailored suit that was composed of many shades of emerald green and black, several pairs of sunglasses with hand crafted frames and blue lenses. Lipski had done well. He had fulfilled her orders down to the letter.

Quickly, she grasped the blue glasses and set them in front of her eyes. Contrary to the old legends, sunlight didn't kill or burn her kind. But since the daytime wasn't her natural time of the day, the sun would take its toll on her. The glasses would help her see more efficiently, ,and the clothes help cover her. As she gazed back into he large crate, she was surprised at how elegant all of the clothes actually looked. Perfectly suited for royalty. She had to admit that she was very impressed by that pathetic little man. She had truly underestimated the little pervert. She had to remind herself that if she ever ran into Lipski again, she would have to reward him for her efforts.

She couldn't help but shiver with disgust as she thought about Drew Lipski. It had been a mistake for her to feed off of his blood; she realized that now. But she had been starving and needed something. She was just thankful she didn't take that much blood from him in the first place. She learned the hard way that if you drained someone to the point of death and gave them your blood, they would become a vampire. But if you only take a little and give them your blood, their wounds would heal almost instantly while they experienced a euphoric sense of what it was like to be a vampire. It was a brief, yet memorable, sensation of having several areas of your brain ignite all at once. That's what she had done with Lipski, and the man was desperate to experience it again. She may have gained a willing and obedient servant, but she had also created a junkie that now had an incurable addiction and was desperate for his next high.

Pushing Lipski out of her mind and looking deeper into the crate, she finally found what she had been looking for. It was a large and highly polished mirror for her to use. Removing the mirror from the crate, she quickly placed it on the dust and cobwebbed covered altar and let it lean against the aged stone cross before taking several steps backwards. The reflection she was greeted with thrilled her by leaps and bounds. Her white hair was now lush and full once more, with the light of the morning sun bouncing off the dark black color that had returned. Her old body, now flowing with the young blood she had taken the other night, was smooth and her muscles well toned like they had been in the time of her youth when she was still human. Even her breasts that had the slight sag from the arrival of advanced age were once more large and felt firm once again. She smiled broadly at the fact that they seemed to once more defy the pull of gravity.

There would be time to admire herself later. She had to clean herself up and then dress accordingly. There was a new world out there for her to see. A world full of life and amazing wonders for her to see and partake of. And of course, more blood that would be full of life and energy for her to feed on. As she made her way back to the crate of clothes, her eyes glanced up at the large stone cross. As she did, she saw that she had crossed herself while about to kneel. She quickly caught herself and once again stood to her full height. That was one habit she thought she had broken ages ago. She let a low growl escape from her throat as she remembered those fools who said her love would be damned because of how she died. Those bastards. Despite what villagers thought, she didn't stop believing in God, she just refused to have anything to do with the Catholic faith. She refused to be apart of a bunch of hypocrites that would damn someone because they had found true love with someone that was also a woman like she was.

For a brief moment, the face of her lost love flashed inside her mind once more. Her flowing hair, her green eyes and soft skin. How she missed her so. Walking back to the crate she had slept in, she withdrew two things. One was the picture Stoppable had of his fiancé, while the other was a small wooden crucifix. The wooden crucifix had belonged to Elizabeta, and it was the only thing she had left that did fade away with time. That was another myth that turned out to be untrue. Looking at a crucifix caused no harm or repelled a vampire. It was what some of these holy totems were made of. Wood was safe, and gold or silver wouldn't hurt. At least, not by themselves. But when they were forged with other minerals or metals of the Earth, they would be toxic to the touch. The perfect example would be when Bonnie ripped Stoppable's Star of David medallion from his neck. But as she looked at the picture she held in her hand, she couldn't help but wonder. Was it possible? Could her lost love be reborn and waiting for her now?

There would be time to find out about that later. She couldn't let that cloud her thinking at the moment. She only had a few more days before the blood she had taken would wear off and she would have to feed again. She would have to find other sources, other ways to draw attention away from her stay in London. It was bad enough she had to kill the crew of the Demeter. She had hoped that the crew would think the sailors she fed from had dies of a sickness. But she hadn't counted on all of them being so superstitious. Her abilities had allowed her to control the storm up to a point, but it had taken her months to track so she could arrive to London and keep what she truly was a secret. But when those fools had decided to try and toss her crates of soil overboard, she had to act fast. She was left with no choice but to kill them and make sure her secret was safe.

That was then, it was in the past now. Now was time for her to see and explore this city, and to find out what this new world had to offer her.

* * *

**Miss Monique's Home**

Kimberly opened the door slowly and ever so slightly, allowing her to peek inside Monique's room. As she saw her friend laying in her bed, with a thin sheet of sweat covering her features, she couldn't help but be worried about her. For two days, Monique had felt unwell. It was almost as if all the energy within her had been drained away. Kimberly lightly knocked on the door and saw her friend glance upward at her. When she saw the smile on Monique's face, she hoped that it was a sign that she was beginning to feel better.

"Do you feel like company?" Kimberly asked her.

"Always." Monique said as she tried to sit up in her bed, leaning her back against the elaborate headboard while Kim came into her room and sat in a chair beside her bed.

"How do you feel? Any better?"

"I'm not sure." Monique said as she took a deep breath. "Besides feeling like I was in an oven the entire night, I kept having nightmares."

"Do you remember what they were about?" Kimberly asked her.

"Only bits and pieces. There's a strange person in the shadows, almost like they're watching me. What I can see of them looks as pale as the moon. And then – I-I can see a pair of red eyes. It's almost like they're glaring at me. I can't remember the rest." Monique said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Kim stood and felt her friend's forehead for a moment before sitting back down.

"You still have a fever. I'll get the maid to bring you a damp cloth before I leave." Kimberly said.

"Leave?" Monique asked her.

"I need to run a few errands. My typewriter needs a new ribbon, and I need to pick up a few things for mom and dad." Kimberly said.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet." Monique said.

"Noticed what?"

"Beside the fact that I'm sick with the crud, don't you notice anything different about me?" she asked her friend.

Kimberly looked at Monique carefully, trying to figure out what she had meant. Her hair was a mess, so she couldn't have been referring to that. She was wearing her bed gown, but she had seen her wear that gown before several times. Her hands were – that's what was different! On her left hand was a gold ring with at least two small diamonds set in it! Did that mean?

"Which one?" Kimberly asked as Monique's smile began to widen.

"Dustin Vaughn, the banker." Monique said proudly as she held out her hand that wore her engagement ring as Kimberly looked at it.

"Monique, congratulations!" Kimberly said and gave Monique a firm hug. As they parted ways, Monique noticed how Kim's eyes widened and her smile slowly faded as she sat down again. "Kimberly, what's wrong with you? You were happy a minute ago." Monique said.

"I just remembered. I told my mother of your condition, and she's sending Wade to examine you. He doesn't know about your engagement yet, does he?" Kimberly asked.

"Besides my parents, you're the first one that knows." Monique said as she remembered how much of a crush the young man had on her. She knew of his efforts to try and win her affections, but she could only see him as a friend and nothing more. She didn't want to hurt him, but she just didn't have romantic feelings for him. "He's going to take this hard, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so." Kimberly said as she bit her lower lip.

"Afraid of what?"

Both looked up to see none other than Wade himself enter the room as the conversation between the two friends ended. As Kimberly stood to greet him, she couldn't help but notice the dark rings under his eyes and how his clothes looked slight disheveled. For a brief moment, Kimberly was worried that Wade may have already found out about Monique's impending wedding.

"How have you been, Wade?" Kimberly asked and tried to act as if everything was normal.

"You don't know want to know." Wade said with a bitter chuckle as he took Kimberly's seat and opened the large black leather bag he had brought with him. "I was told you hadn't been feeling well."

"That's an understatement." Monique said.

"Do you need any help?" Kimberly asked Wade.

"Not really. I'm just going to check her vitals and draw some blood." Wade said.

"It won't hurt when you draw the blood, will it?" Monique asked.

"More than a tickle, but less than paying taxes." Wade joked, bringing a small smirk to Monique's lips.

"Then I'll set about those errands. I'll see you later tonight, Monique." Kimberly said as she left the room and closed the door behind her while Wade removed a stethoscope and placed it in his ears.

"You do look a little pale. Have you eaten anything?" Wade asked as he listened to her strong heartbeat.

"Only a little toast."

"You should probably eat a little more than that. Some more fluids like water and juice may help." Wade said as he removed the stethoscope. "You're heart sounds fine. So it may be – what in the world?" Wade asked as he turned Monique's head to the side.

"What is it?" Monique asked, a little puzzled at what Wade could be looking at.

"There's a mark on your neck."

"There is? What does it look like?" Monique asked him.

"Almost like a bruise. If I hadn't known better, I'd swear that you had been kissed there." Wade said before what he said registered in his brain and he sat back slowly. "I'm here as a friend, but mostly as your doctor. So I have to know. Have you been with intimate with anyone recently?" Wade asked her, fearing the worst. If she had been with Quincy or Dustin, they might have given her the condition that had ravaged various parts of London.

"Wade, how can you ask that?" Monique asked him.

"It's to better understand your condition. I didn't mean to offend." Wade said to her. But he could tell she didn't believe him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but the answer is no. I'm still a virgin. And I plan to stay one until Dustin and I are married." Monique said and let out a small gasp as she realized what she had let slip. She quickly looked at Wade and could almost see his heart shatter in his eyes as his posture began to slightly slump. "I-I'm sorry, Wade. I didn't want you to find out that way." She quickly said to him.

"I-it's okay, I understand. I'm really am happy for you. Dustin will be able to provide you a very happy life." Wade said as he removed a syringe, cotton balls, and bottled alcohol. "I need to draw some," Wade said, but stopped in mid sentence. He stopped what he was doing as he took a ragged deep breath to steady himself and looked at Monique again. "I won't lie, I'm devistated. But I don't have any ill will toward either of you. But I ask one thing of you. I know I'm not worthy of you, I never have been."

"Wade,"

"Please hear me out." Wade pleaded with her. "If things should not work out with Mr. Vaughn, then please. Please, consider me as an option. That's all I ask." Wade said to her.

"All right, Wade. I promise." She said to him as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

* * *

**London**

Despite being outside of her natural element, she couldn't help but smile as she moved about the excitement and hustle of London's society. The mixture of the high class and lower class clashing together just enthralled her to no end. She could hear every single heartbeat pounding together like an orchestra and smell all of everyone's scents like it was the aroma of a wonderful bouquet of rare flowers all around her. How she missed being apart of this. She missed not having to hide and to walk amongst people that weren't frightened of her or demanding for her immediate destruction. Yes, it was good to be back amongst the living once more. She had already sat outside in a small café and enjoyed two glasses of wine as she simply just watched everything around her. She might not be able to consume much, but she could enjoy some of the things mortal take for granted.

She adjusted her blue sunglasses and straightened her dark green suit and top hat that were complete with black trim. In her hand was a polished black and silver cane with a sterling silver shaped dragon as the handle. As she came to a local shop on a corner, she saw a young boy shouting the current headlines that were in the stack of newspapers he was trying to sell. Amongst the news he was shouting, she heard him mention something about the Demeter. Her curiosity peaking, she gave the boy a large gold coin in exchange for a copy of the newspaper. She couldn't help but grin as the boy's eyes lit up at the sight of the coin while he kept thanking her over and over again. As the boy pocketed the coin and went about his work, Shego continued walking along the stone streets as she opened the paper she bought and began to read.

The article about the Demeter didn't go into too much detail. It strictly reported on all the crew being murdered and no signs of the killer were found. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she finished reading the article and turned the page. As she continued to read, she failed to notice the oncoming foot traffic that was walking towards her. Mainly the young woman who had just exited a near by store and was walking towards Shego unaware while she read the label of the small bottle in her hand. Both of them collided ungracefully, grunting as they staggered backwards a few steps. Shego heard the woman gasp as she saw the bottle she had been holding slip from her grasp and began to fall. Acting on pure instinct, Shego reached out and swiftly caught the bottle before it was even halfway to the stone streets. She gave herself a mental slap for that stunt. She knew she had moved faster than any human could have followed that time. She just hoped that this woman didn't notice. The last thing she wanted to do was to take another life.

Shego began to feel slightly at ease as she began to stand, hearing the woman in front of her let out a sigh of relief that the bottle she had been carrying wasn't broken. Looks like she wouldn't have anymore blood on her hands this day. As the two women finally looked up and saw each other for the first time, both of them froze in place. The woman Shego had run into had flaming red hair that had been tied up into a bun, soft unblemished skin that looked to have been crafted out of fine porcelain, and deep jade green eyes that almost looked like a pair of living jewels. It was Stoppable's fiancé, Kimberly. And the resemblance to her lost Elizabeta was so uncanny, Shego could swear right now that she was looking at her beloved's ghost right now! Kimberly however was experiencing a wave of Déjà vu as she looked into this stranger's face. She didn't know how or where, but she felt deep down inside that she had seen this woman before. A part of her was telling she they had met a long time ago, but that was impossible. She had never seen this woman before in her life. She would remember seeing her, especially a woman that seemed to have stepped out of an elegant Renaissance painting.

"M-my a-apologies." Shego said as she handed the bottle back to Kimberly.

"Thank you." Kimberly said quietly as she took the bottle back.

"I should have been paying more attention." Shego said, her Romanian accent coming out crisp and clear. "I've just arrived to London, and I'm afraid I don't know my way yet."

"It was my fault to. I should have watched where I was going." Kimberly said as she fidgeted slightly in her place. She kept having this nagging feeling she had seen this woman before, but how was that Possible?

"This may sound very strange, but; have we met before?" she asked the woman in front of her.

"I don't believe so. I would remember a lady of such grace as you." Shego said and saw the blush that crept into Kimberly's cheeks.

"I thank you for helping me, and apologize for running into you. Good day." Kimberly said and began to walk away. Why was she blushing like this? The only time that happened was when Ronald and herself were flirting with each other. Could she have been – no. She was also a woman. Why would another woman be flirting with her?

"Madame?" Shego called out, gaining Kimberly's attention once more. "Have you lived in London long?" Shego asked her.

"All my life." Kimberly said, wondering why she was being asked this question.

"Then perhaps you could help me. I'm trying to find the London Museum. I'm intrigued by what is called the cine – cine – what is called?" Shego asked herself.

"The cinematograph?" Kimberly asked her.

"That is it. I have heard it is a wonder of the civilized world." Shego said.

"It's supposed to be. I would like to see it myself." Kimberly said.

"Really? You have an interest in science?"

"A small interest. My family seems to be drawn to it." Kimberly said.

"I know we have just met, but would you like to accompany me? It would be nice to have a intellectual discussion once again." Shego said.

Kimberly could feel her cheeks almost burning at this point. Why was she blushing so much around this woman? She didn't know this woman at all, yet she was feeling like a young schoolgirl that was trying to talk to her first crush. She didn't know this woman at all, yet she felt like she could trust her.

"I don't know." Kimberly said.

"Please. It would be my honor." Shego said as she took a slight bow in front of her.

"I didn't get your name." Kimberly said.

"I am Princess Shego." She said as she removed her hat and let her raven hair flow free. "And I am at your service."

"I am Kimberly Anne Possible." Kimberly introduced herself and preformed a small curtsey.

"I am honored, Madame Kimberly." Shego said as she grasped Kim's hand in her gloved one, and placed a gentle kiss on top of it. "Shall we be on our way then?"

* * *

**Carfax Asylum**

"I see it, but I don't believe it." Anne said as she looked at the blood sample under a microscope. It was late in the evening, with the sun have already set ion the distance, as Anne and Wade tried to figure out what was wrong with Monique. Wade had been examining the blood sample off and on and consulting various texts and what he knew about biology and diseases all day long. It was all he could do to keep his mind off of the fact that he had lost the race to win Miss Monique. After the first two hours, he asked Anne to help him and they had been busy ever since. Wade's shirt was unbuttoned at the collar and his sleeves rolled up while Anne let her hair down and did her best to fight exhaustion. After she took a few more notes, she sat in the other chair in the office while she looked at Wade sitting at his desk. Every time he was in deep thought, he would chew on the end of his glasses. Just like he was doing now.

"I've never seen anything like this. I can't even find anything like it in the medical journals or anything else here." Wade said as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"It has all the signs of an infection, Wade. Everything about it. Her sickness, lack of energy, but it also isn't an infection at the same time. Whatever this thing is, it's attacking her white blood cells. It's almost like it's purposely trying to make sure she's weak." Anne said as she popped her knuckles and wrists. "You said she had a mark on her neck. What did it look like?"

"At first, I thought it may have been put there by someone who was being – romantic with her." Wade said as he remembered what had happened earlier.

"Are you sure?" Anne asked him. Wade thought back to the mark, trying to recall what all he saw of it. At first, he thought it was where a man would kiss a woman's neck when they were trying – he didn't want to think about Monique doing that with Mr. Vaughn. He had to think, he had to think as a man of medicine and not a jealous lover. As he thought more about it, he thought he may have saw to puncture wounds. A bite?

"It may have been a bite mark." Wade said.

"What kind of bite? Animal? Insect?"

"I'm not sure. There was too much bruising." Wade said. "Could we be dealing with something venomous?"

"I'm not sure. From what I've read of your notes and what I've seen, she will recover. But it will take time." Anne said as she thought more and more about it. "Wade, we need more help with this." Anne said.

"But who would be willing to help us with this? You might be a colleague, but everyone else in the scientific community sees you as an assistant. And very few doctors will take someone who runs an asylum seriously. Too many self inflated egos in the world of medicine." Wade said as he began to rub his temples and will away an oncoming headache.

"There's one person who might be willing to help us." Anne said to her young friend.

"Really? And who might that be?" Wade asked her.

"To me, he's an old friend. To you, he's one of your old teachers and mentors." She said to him.

Wade had to think for a moment or two about whom she may have been talking about. When his mind came up with a possible answer, he slowly looked up at her and wondered if he should prepare a cell for her. Last time he checked, he wasn't really one of that man's favorite pupils.

"Don't tell me you're talking about,"

"Professor Demens." Anne said.

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

"He's one of the foremost experts in rare diseases, and philosophy." Anne said.

"And there's been several rumors for years that he may be loosing his mind! Several of us at University thought he was nothing more than an old crackpot!" Wade argued.

"Wade, we're out of our league here. We've gone as far as we can go and now are backs are against the wall. If you really want to help Monique, I don't see any other choice here." Anne pointed out, trying to get through that thick skull of his. "Or are you really going to let your feelings get in the way of this and let her suffer because she didn't want to marry you?"

Wade looked up and glared at the woman who helped him on his road to becoming a doctor. He had considered her a good friend, but even he had his limits.

"That is a hell of a thing for you to say to me. I will not compromise anyone's health just because of my emotional state. I'm a doctor, God damn it!"

"Then act like one!" Anne said to him as she gave him her own look. For several seconds, almost minutes, they glared at each other. Neither one of them were backing down as both of their tempers flared. Finally, Wade relented and looked away from Anne's piercing eyes as he ran a hand through his hair.

"He might respond if the letter came from you. I wasn't really one of his favorites." Wade said.

"I'll send a telegraph at once, then." Anne said as she stood and left the office to set about her task. Anne did care about Wade and his emotional state. She was sad that his heart was broken, she really was. But right now, it was time for him to grow up.

* * *

**London**

The evening air was crisp and cool as both Kimberly and Shego breathed it in. Both had found the museum both entertaining and informative. At least, what parts of it they had paid their attention to. The whole time they had strolled through the vast halls of knowledge, they had been talking of many things. Their conversations had ranged from matters and opinions of modern day society all the way to their views on philosophy and other things. Even what little Kimberly knew of medicine, Shego found most fascinating. And both couldn't ignore how easily they seemed to get along with each other. How it felt like they had been with an old friend that hadn't seen in ages rather than two complete strangers. Kimberly could almost swear that a smile hadn't left her face since she had met this woman today. She couldn't explain it, but it was like she was drawn to her.

"I didn't realize how late it was. I apologize for monopolizing your time." Shego said as she saw the sun was quickly setting on the horizon.

"It's quite all right. This has given me a chance to be myself and not worry." Kimberly said to her.

"Well, the least I can do is pay for a cab so you venture safely home." Shego said to her.

"There's no need,"

"I insist." Shego quickly said as she stepped to the curb and began to search. Allowing her mind to wonder, she soon found an empty carriage waiting for a fare, but the driver was so far away that he couldn't see them. Allowing herself to enter the man's mind as her eyes began to slightly shift and change color, she began to plant the suggestion for the man to travel toward them. A small smile formed as the man made his horse walk toward the front of the museum and ignore the flustered business man that had been trying to hail him.

"_Too easy."_ Shego thought to herself as the man stopped in front of the two ladies and opened his carriage door. "Take this young woman to wherever she says." Shego said as she removed a purse from her pocket and placed several large coins of silver and gold in his hand.

"Yes, Ma'am!" the driver gladly said as his eyes widened at his pay.

"Thank you very much." Kimberly said as she entered the carriage. "I wish there was a way I could repay your kindness."

"Your company was more than enough. But perhaps we can meet again?" Shego asked her.

"I would love to."

"Then can you meet at the end of Baker Street three days from now? I have a small residence there." Shego said.

"That sounds lovely. I look forward to it." Kimberly said.

"As do I, Lady Kimberly. Until the next time we meet." Shego said as she took a bow as the carriage door closed.

Shego stood and watched as Kimberly rose away and reluctantly sighed. So many emotions and urges had begun to resurface while she had been with Kimberly. Feelings she was so sure she had forgotten about. It felt like she had been with Elizabeta again. Kimberly's mannerisms, the way she spoke, even blushed were so identical that it was unbelievable. Could it really be her? Elizabeta or not, Shego was certain she was beginning to fall in love with this intelligent young woman. And she wanted to experience everything with her.

The more she began to dream, the more she realized that she would have to drink more blood. The amount she took from the young woman the other day would only last her a week at the most. She would need more. She knew it was a risk, but she needed the energy and life she had gained from the young woman's blood in order to be with Kimberly. Just to be safe, she would wait until tomorrow evening before returning to the large manor house. With any luck, the young girl she had supped on would still be weak and would put up little if any fight. Yes, she was sure she was going to like staying in London very much.

* * *

Professor Demens sat in his office and sipped a small glass of brandy as he went over several blue prints and research notes. Several weeks ago, he had attended a World's Fair in America to display a new invention of his that he had been working on in private for several years. And after the demonstration, someone had knocked him unconscious and stole the very device he had created. Where it was now, he couldn't be sure. And as he looked over all of these notes, he wondered if it would be worth the effort to try and build another one. Feeling his frustration and aggravation begin to rise, he sipped a little more of the brandy to calm his nerves. He had a stack of term papers to review, and it would take him all night to grade them.

As he grasped the first set of papers and began to glance over the chicken scratch that was called writing, there was a resounding knock at his door. At least he was given a small reprieve.

"Enter." He said in his thick German accent.

"Professor?" his assistant, a young girl in her second year at the University, asked as she entered. "You just received an urgent telegram from London." She said and handed him the letter.

"That's odd." The man said as he brushed back his black hair back, with a single large stripe of gray hair down the center of it. He grasped the letter and glanced at it before his attitude began to slightly perk up. "It's from an old friend of mine, Anne Possible. I haven't heard from her in ages." He said and began to read. As he did so, his expression began to grow more grim and even more serious. He was reading the symptoms of Miss Monique that Anne had included and that their tests were in conclusive. When he was finished, he looked like he was completely stunned.

"Professor? Is everything all right?" the assistant cautiously asked.

"I-I'm fine." He said as he took a deep breath to collect himself. "I need you to inform the Head Master that I'm taking a leave of absence at once. I have to leave for London immediately." Professor Demens said as he stood up and immediately began gathering various vials and pieces of equipment and placed them within his large black doctor's bag.

"London? Professor, what's going on?"

"Someone close to Anne has fallen ill. She, nor her colleague, know how to treat it. I might be the only who can help." He said as he placed more vials into the large bag.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I wish I knew." Demens said as he closed the doctor's bag, grabbed his coat, and left. The assistant couldn't help but get the strange feeling that something was wrong.


	5. Escalation

**The Home of Miss Monique**

They had been waiting for several hours now. The letter Professor Demens had sent Dr. Wade Load and Dr. Anne Possible told them he would be at Miss Monique's home that evening. The sun had been down for several hours now, and still the Professor hadn't arrived. Wade's temper was beginning to rise by the hour as he loosened his tied and collar. He had sat in a chair or a sofa until his ass had gone completely numb, and he had been pacing so much that he was about to form a trench into the marble floor. Anne had been occupying her time by diving her nose into a book and was almost finished with it.

"How can you just sit there like that?" Wade asked her.

"Wade, one of our job requirements is the gift of patience."

"But his letter said,"

"His letter said this evening, but not a certain time." Anne said to him.

"Bloody hell." Wade cursed as he entered the parlor and straight to the large bottle of brandy. Wade had been trying to numb his emotions more and more through alcohol since their patient, Drew Lipski, murdered one of their orderlies several days ago. Wade still hadn't found a proper way to deal with the stress, and Lipski's condition was growing steadily worse. Night and day at all hours, the man would rant and scream about his master. Several times, his head had been caught in the bars that covered his cell's window. He would scream out into the open about he was waiting for his master or how he had done what he was told. Now he was demanding where his reward was. Wade's fascination with Lipski had now turned into disdain. They've had to medicate him several times a day to keep him from disturbing the other patience. And several times, Anne had caught Wade eyeing the morphine, with every neuron and gear in his brain turning in speculation. She knew he needed a way to relieve himself of the grief of one of their own dying during his watch, but narcotics wasn't the answer.

Anne marked her place in the book and followed him into the parlor in time to see him drink a full glass of brandy in one gulp. Wade coughed several times as the liquor burned its way down his throat and into his stomach and took several deep breaths in hopes to make the burning sensations go away. She needed to find a way to calm Wade's temper soon.

"What sort of man does Demens thinks he is? The health of the woman I love is at stake!" Wade said as he filled the glass again. He was about to drink again when he found Anne's hand covering the glass and pushing it back onto the bar's hardened wood surface.

"He knows that, Wade. But the trains and carriages can only go so fast. It's not like we have machines that can cross London within a few short minutes." Anne said as she took the glass and dumped its contents into the soil of a large potted fern.

"He acted the same way when I was a student of his. We would wait for minutes or hours at a time until he finally decided to teach his class. The man is infuriating." Wade said.

"So I'm often told." Demens said as he entered the parlor and removing his large panama hat, giving both Wade and Anne a bit of a fright. They hadn't even heard the front doors open or the man stepping inside.

"Abraham! It's so good to see you again!" Anne said as she gave the ageing Professor a hug which he returned with a small grin.

"I always help my friends when they call upon me. Dr. Load, a pleasure to see you again." Demens said as his hug with Anne ended and he extended his hand to Wade.

"Likewise, Professor." Wade said.

"Really? I thought you were just insulting me a moment ago." Demens said and chuckled as he noticed Wade was beginning to blush. "Now tell me about this case of yours." Demens said as he placed his hat and traveling cloak on a near by coat rack and took a seat in one of the parlor chairs.

Anne took the sofa while Wade took another chair and explained to Demens everything that they had encountered and observed. The entire time they spoke, Demens listened closely with his face showing no sign of emotion at all. The only look that stayed on his face was only that of deep concentration. As soon as they were done speaking, Demens exhaled a small breath he had been holding as he sat back in the soft chair cushions.

"We've explained everything to you, Professor. What do you think?" Wade asked him.

"I think – I'll have a Scotch." Demens said as he stood up and walked to the bar where Wade had been earlier.

"Do what?" Wade asked, a bit surprised by the answer he had been given. Both Anne and himself watched as the man poured himself a tall glass of the alcohol and began to sip it slowly. With each sip, his eyes were closed as he would lick his lips to savor the flavor of his beverage. "That's it? After coming down here and listening to us, all you can do is drink?" Wade asked, unable to believe that they had asked for the help of the crackpot in front of them.

"It's to still my nerves and help me think, Dr. Load. Despite your opinions of me, no matter what they are; I am familiar with the symptoms you describe." Demens said.

"You are?" Anne asked him as she stood her feet.

"Indeed. I have traveled abroad several times over, and have encountered and witnessed many strange things. I have encountered people with the symptoms you have just described to me. Even the nightmares you told me about are a clue to her condition." Demens said as he took another sip. "I just hope that I'm wrong about the cause." Demens said as his face grew solemn.

Before Anne or Wade could ask the Professor what he was talking about, all of them were startle by the loud scream they heard coming from upstairs. Wade's eyes widened with panic as his heart increased by leaps and bounds. He knew who that scream belonged to and where it was coming from. Acting quickly, Wade bolted out of the parlor and began to bound up the stairs two at a time as fast as he possibly could. Anne followed closely behind him while Demens grabbed the large leather bag he left by the door and followed his two colleagues. So far, this night wasn't turning out well at all.

* * *

Wade was the first to Monique's bedroom door. His hand firmly grasped the door knob and turned only to find that the door was locked. He knew for a fact that he and Anne had been leaving this door unlocked in case of an emergency. The fear in Wade began to grow like an iceball in the pit of his stomach. He could hear Monique moaning loudly on the other side of the door. He didn't know if she was in pain or suffering from another nightmare. As Anne and Demens began to come up from behind him, Wade braced himself firmly as he used his left shoulder to ram the door and finally forcing it open. AS Wade looked up, for a brief moment, he thought he saw a figure hiding in the dark. All he could tell was that he thought it looked human, but it had blood red eyes! But the form was only there for a moment before it was gone, leaving only Wade and Monique in the room. And what Wade saw shocked him to say the least.

Monique's eyes were closed so tightly that it looked as if she were trying to rip her eyelids from her face. Her mouth was open wide and panting for air like her life depended on it while her hands were clutching her sheets almost tight enough to rip the Egyptian cotton fabric. Her nightgown had been torn from the collar, revealing her young and firm breasts as her entire body glistened with sweat. Wade and Anne quickly rushed to her side and covered her bare flesh with a sheet while Demens turned the gaslight up so he could begin to examine her features. He quickly felt her forehead and found that despite the cold sweat she was covered in, she had a high fever. Her skin was beginning to pale and felt clammy to the touch. He was fixing to check her eyes when he noticed the blood on the side of her neck and on her pillow. He gently turned the young woman's head and to stop himself from gasping at what he saw. He had prayed the cause of her infection was something else, but what he saw had proven him wrong. Almost on top of the old and healing bite mark was a fresh one. Two small fresh puncture marks on the side of her neck that was still shinning in the light of the moon from the saliva of what had been feasting on her.

"Anne, my bag is by the door. Bring it here, NOW!" Demens shouted.

"What's wrong?" Wade asked.

"Your young friend is dying."

"WHAT?" Wade screamed.

"The wound on her neck. She's lost a great deal of blood."

"But there are only a few drops,"

"Take off your coat and roll up your sleeves." Demens said as he took the bag Anne had opened and pulled out a strange miniature pump with a glass jar attached to the bottom. At the top, near the pump itself, were two ports that Demens was connecting a rubber hose to each end.

"What are you doing, you crazy old fart?" Wade demanded.

"Her body needs blood, and we must give her blood. If we don't, her organs will begin to shut down and she will die." Demens said.

"Your procedure? You've perfected it?" Anne asked him as she began to remove Wade's coat.

"I've only been able to test it on animals so far. But right now, we have no choice. If we want to save her life, we must act now. Wade, sit in the chair." Demens said as Wade unbuttoned his sleeves and began to roll them up. "Is there anyone that you know that is still awake?"

"Possibly her fiancé and another friend of hers. A Texan named Brick Flagg." Anne said.

"Fetch them at once! I don't know if Wade's blood will be enough." Demens said as he attached a hypodermic needle to each hose and inserted one into the vein in Wade's arm. As soon as it was securely in, Demens inserted the other needle into Monique's arm and used the small pump to draw the red fluid that gave them all life.

* * *

**One hour later**

"You didn't tell me I would feel so light headed." Dustin Vaughn said to Wade as he sipped a glass of water while he and Brick Flagg sat in the parlor. All three of them had bandages over their arms where Professor Demens had drawn blood from each of them.

"How can one little philly hold that much blood? I don't even think a longhorn would have that much in them." Brick said as he leaned against a wall for support.

"The more important question is how did she loose so much?" Wade said as he sipped on a Brandy.

"You're correct, Dr. Load." Demens said as he and Anne entered the room. Anne's sleeves were rolled up, as here the Professor's as they each wiped away the sweat that had formed on their brows.

"How is she, Anne?" Wade asked the older woman.

"Asleep for now. We'll have to wait to see if the procedure worked." Anne said as Demens walked to the bar and poured himself a drink.

"You are a scientist, as well as a doctor, Wade. Go over the facts." Demens said as he consumed his beverage in one gulp.

"There was obviously no internal trauma. The only wounds that we found were the fresh bite marks, and a few drops on the pillows and floor. But that can't be where the blood loss occurred."

"Why is that?" Demens asked him.

"You saw how pale she was, Professor. How weak she was. In order for that to be the point of origin, the sheets and everything else should have been soaked with blood."

"So maybe something flew in and sucked it out?" Brick joked, causing a laugh from Wade and Dustin while the serious look on the Professor's face still remained.

"Sure, why not?" Demens asked them.

"You can't be serious." Dustin said to the older gentleman.

"Wade, did you look at the blood droplets that were on the floor?" Demens asked.

"I didn't get a good look."

"I did." Anne said as she sat in a chair, trying to fan herself. "I didn't think about it before hand. The direction was toward the balcony window."

"The what?" Brick asked.

"Directionality, Mr. Flagg. If Monique had been leaning over her bed after her wound was inflicted, they would be almost circles. But instead, each drop had a small tail that was heading toward the open window."

"So what bit her, a bat?" Dustin asked.

"If it were a mere bat, the amount of blood would be far less than the amount she lost. We're dealing with something else. Something -unspeakable." Demens said.

"Which is?" Wade asked.

"When you eliminate all the possible reasons, what ever remains must be the answer. No matter how improbable it is." Demens said, giving them a moment to think about what he had said.

"Wade, I think you need to check this old koot into your nuthouse." Brick said.

"Why?"

"He's saying that a damn vampire did this." Brick said.

"He's not saying that!" Anne said, defending her old friend.

"Actually, I am." Demens said, causing everyone to look at him for a moment in bewildered shock.

"Brick's right. You are insane." Dustin said as he tried to stand, but only found himself falling back into the chair as another wave of light headedness washed over him.

"There are things in this world that we can not explain. Some things that we've decided no longer exist. But I'm telling you, only an idiot would think that man is the dominant species in the world. I know you don't believe me for the moment, but at least have patience with me. For a few days, let's believe that what I say is true. We must take proper precautions. After doing so, if she is attacked again, then I will admit I'm wrong and I'll leave." Demens said.

"And if we do this, and she improves?" Anne asked him.

"Then it proves that I am right. And if I am, then all of London is in great danger."

* * *

**The Next Evening**

Shego sat by herself at a table that had a white silk table cloth covering it. On the table was a small glass vase with intricate designs etched into the glass while it held two beautiful wildflowers of purple and yellow. A small basket filled with pieces of bread sat in the middle of the table, as well as two bowls of broth. Two tall empty wine glasses stood tall and sparkled from the candle light all about the room, with a very large bottle of aged wine that was waiting to be opened. Shego had only arrived here a few moments ago to enjoy the company of Kimberly Anne Possible once more, and felt as nervous as a sinner in Church. She and Kimberly had already had several outings and were now undoubtedly friends. But whenever they dined together, it was always public and open. Much to Shego's distaste, she knew Kimberly was engaged to that buffoon Ronald Stoppable and didn't want it to appear she was trying to make a move on her. But she decided to change things after supping on that young woman's blood once more.

Shego had been feasting on the blood of vagrants that were here and there about London, as well as the prostitutes in White Chapel that weren't infected with foul diseases. But she didn't have the same energy as she had after drinking from that young woman the first time. So decideing an evening with Kimberly was worth the danger, she had traveled back to the mansion and drank that marvelous young girl's blood once more. Now Shego felt again like she had in the prime of her mortal life. Ready to lead an army against who knows what awaited her. She was ready for anything. Or so Shego thought, until Kimberly finally entered the dining room.

Shego had to do her best to keep her mouth closed as Kimberly entered the room. She wore an emerald green dress with golden highlights. It made Kimberly's fare skin seem to glow with an inner radiance that would even make the rising of the sun pale. Her read hair had been elegantly made into a bun with a few curled locks of hair framing her face. Her emerald eyes and shy smile made her seem like she was a living angel that had been sent to guide others to the other side.

"I hope I didn't over dress." Kimberly said as her cheeks became rosy from her shyness.

"N-none at all." Shego said with a smile, feeling that she was the one under dressed in a simple pair of black slacks, green shirt, and a black vest while letting her long black hair flow freely. "Allow me." Shego said as she stood and pulled out Kimberly's seat for her.

"Thank you." Kimberly said as she took her seat and Shego returned to hers. "This is a little odd. Why are we the only ones in this wing of the restaurant?" Kimberly asked her foreign friend.

"I rented it." Shego simply and grinned at the surprised look on Kimberly's face.

"The entire wing?" Kimberly asked her.

"I thought it would be nice if we could enjoy each other's company in peace." Shego said as she grasped the bottle and peeled the wax off the cork.

"I'm not worth so much trouble."

"You underestimate yourself, Madame Kimberly." Shego said as the corked popped, with Shego catching it swiftly in her hand. "A toast to you, Miss Kimberly." Shego said as she poured the liquid into the glasses.

"To me? Why?"

"For having the heart to help a lost traveler in her time of need." Shego said as they raised each other's glasses. "And for being the friend that I haven't had in many years."

Both sipped their wine and savored the taste. But as they lowered their glasses, Kimberly couldn't help but become curious about what Shego had just said to her. "You don't have many friends?"

"Not anymore. Sadly, people are spread about to other parts of the world like leaves on the wind." Shego said as she remembered Elizabeta and a few of the servants she loved and trusted that were now nothing more but bones in the earth.

"I'm sorry." Kim said to her. "I think I know how you must feel. Right now, one of my dearest friends is terribly ill."

"I am sorry to hear of that." Shego said.

"No one knows what is wrong with her. She has this strange fever and she's always weak." Kimberly said. On describing the symptoms, Shego's breath almost caught in her throat. But she shook the thought that been forming in her brain away. It couldn't be the same person.

"Has she seen a doctor?" Shego asked.

"Of course. My mother and my friend, Wade, are both physicians. They've even brought another one of their colleagues, but they won't tell me anything. All they've done is strung up wreaths of garlic and placed a crucifix over her head." Kimberly. If Kimberly could see under the table, she would have seen Shego's hand balled into a fist as the knuckles popped one by one.

She had to do her best to keep her composure and not panic right then and there. What Kimberly described was too much of a coincidence. The young woman SHego had found when she arrived in London, the one she had fed on once more for more energy was Kimberly's friend! And what was worse, one of these damn doctors knew what she was! What had she done?

As Shego was lost in her thoughts, Kimberly decided to change the subject. "I was wondering, could you tell me more about your kingdom?" Kimberly asked.

"I gather you found my stories interesting?" Shego asked her new friend. Over the times they had met, she would tell Kimberly of her homeland and some of the folk stories. Every time she would begin to talk, it would seem that Kimberly would be transfixed on listening to her every word.

"I'm not sure why I'm so interested in them. But it's like your voice, it . . . it transports me someplace. It's almost like I know the story, but I don't really recall it." Kimberly said. "I know it sounds silly."

"Not at all." Shego said as shipped her wine once more. "My home land lies deep within the mountains. A vast and fertile land, almost like an ocean of green." Shego began.

"With wild flowers growing in the fields. Every color is like the rainbow itself had found a way to join itself with the Earth. And a grand, majestic castle stands proudly on the top of a mountain. Where it's ruler keeps a watchful eye on her homeland." Kimberly said as she closed her eyes and saw vivid images of place that she somehow knew, but she had never been there before in her life. As she opened her eyes, she saw a look of almost disbelief on her friend's face.

"Y-you speak as if you have – seen my homeland first hand." Shego said in awe.

"It's almost like a dream. Only fragments remain." Kimberly said. Kimberly stood from her seat, needing a moment to breath. She stood near one of the large windows that looked out upon the city outside as she tried to steady her thoughts. But more and more images began to appear in her mind. It was if she had unlocked something that had been hidden there for a long time. Including the images of a woman.

"What happened to the Princess?" Kimberly asked.

As soon as those words left her lips, Shego had to do her best to hold back the gasp that had formed in her throat. Since the day they met, she had never mentioned the past rulers of her homeland, or any princess. Could it be? "Princess?" Shego asked her.

"There's always a Princess. She's strong but, she's as gentle and kind as a mother with her child. She's beautiful but – she's also heartbroken. Like something has been taken from her. Something precious." Kimberly said while Shego closed her eyes. Images of Elizabeta's face, covered in her tears while Shego left for battle. The last time she had seen her beloved alive was when she in a moment of heartbreak.

"She seems almost lost. Like her entire world is strange to her. There's also a – river." Kimberly said, making Shego's eyes bolt open as tears of crimson blood began to fall. "She's – she's falling. She's falling into a river that – that she created from her tears." Kimberly finished as she placed a hand over her mouth, and her own tears began to fall. It was such a heartbreaking image for her to see. But why was she seeing something so sad now? Shego took a steady breath and wiped the tears of blood away with her napkin. Making sure there was no evidence that they had fallen before she stood and approached Kimberly slowly.

"There indeed was once a Princess. She was the most – beautiful woman amongst all of the ancient empires." Shego said as she stood behind Kimberly.

"What became of her?" Kimberly asked as Shego took her soft hand in hers. Shego's hand was very warm, but it also had a slight chill to it as well. She could hear her friend breathing behind her, almost feel her breathing. As they held each other's hand, Kimberly couldn't help but lean against her friend as her own breathing began to quicken.

"One day, man's deceit," Shego began with her voice dripping with disdain as she began. "took her from her beloved. With her heart now shattered, she flung herself into the river that you spoke of." Shego said and wrapped her other arm firmly, but gently, around Kimberly's waist. Kimberly looked up into Shego's face as her tears made her eyes sparkle as if they were living diamonds. Kimberly's breathing had grown faster, and both could see and feel the desire that was growing within each of them. "In my mother's tongue, it is known as 'River Princess.'" Shego said as both women gazed into each others eyes.

Kimberly couldn't understand what was happening to her at that moment. Ever since she had met this woman, she had felt this strange connection to her. Like a strange bond had always existed between them. But this didn't make any sense. And what was happening right now was wrong, wasn't it? These feelings, the emotions and this desire that burned in her heart like a raging fire weren't supposed to be there. She was in love with Ronald. Wasn't she? She did love Ronald, she knew that she did. But whenever she was with Shego, these feelings for her were ever so much stronger. Whether it was wrong of her to feel this way in her friends arms, she needed this. She wanted this. As Shego leaned her head downward towards Kimberly, both of them embraced their lips in a long and lasting tender and loving kiss.

* * *

**Transylvania**

Day time, that's all he knew right now. It was still day time. Ronald didn't think he had ever felt so awful in his whole life. His head felt as if these heathen creatures had stuck his head inside an oven while his body shivered and felt weak. All over him were bite marks from the Countess' servants. Some were turning into scars while others were still dripping fresh blood. Every time he had begun to feel his strength return, they would come and feast on him again. At least, not all of them. Yori. Since the night he had discovered what the Countess and her servants were, he hadn't seen Yori ever since. How did he get himself into this mess in the first place? Yori, if she still had a heart at all, would have been his only hope to escape this horrible place. But instead, she had fled. And now here he was, nothing more but a meal for these vampire whores.

He knew there was a good chance he was going to die, but that wasn't what frightened him so at the moment. It was the thought that the Countess was in London at that very moment. The memory of that vampire woman becoming transfixed on Kimberly's picture chilled him to his bones. What was she planning for his beloved? Was she going to torture her? Humiliate her as she had humiliated him? Or was she planning something even more horrible. It was almost too much for Ronald to think about.

Ron tried to sit up, but he couldn't. All of his limbs felt like they were made out of led and refused to move. He thought he was going to pass out again until he felt someone cradling his head in their arms. The arms were soft, and he could smell a strange perfume about whoever was here. Nothing gaudy or extravagant like the other vampire women, but this was something more subtle. He felt something pressed against his lips. Before he could decide what it was, he felt fresh, cold water pour on his lips.

"Please. You must drink." The person whispered to him. He didn't know how, but he was able to part his lips and swallow the water that flowed into his mouth. He had forgotten how thirsty he had been. It may not have healed him, but the little water he did drink did begin to make him feel slightly better. As he opened his eyes to thank this person, he gasped in pure fear.

"Yori!" Ron said and tried to back away.

"I will not harm you. You have my word." She said as she placed her finger against his lips to silence him. She knew some vampires could walk in the day, but they weren't as strong. She couldn't take that chance with the others right now.

"You're one of them!" Ron croaked.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you, and I beg for your forgiveness. I was payment for the help the Countess gave my family. I never wanted to be like this." She said to him.

"You – you bit – you bit - me." Ron said.

"I know I did. I do not like the fact that I must live off of fresh blood. I was hungry and I couldn't stop myself. I've been hiding in shame ever since." Yori said as a tear of blood began to form in one of her eyes.

"Then why – why show yourself now?" Ron asked her.

"To help you escape. I had to wait until it was the right time."

"Time for what?"

"You'll see." Yori said as she lifted Ronald to his feet as if he weighed nothing. Ron tried to make his legs work, but they were dragging most of the time. Yori was taking him through various parts of the castle, but Ronald wasn't sure where. He kept dosing off and waking up again. He wasn't even sure if he was dreaming all of this at the moment. Ronald probably would have fallen completely asleep if he didn't feel cold wind blowing against his face.

"Ronald, you must wake up." Yori said and began padding the side of his face.

"What? Where?" Ronald asked as he woke up again. As he let his eyes focus once more, he saw they were on a balcony. Yori had taken him to one of the other rooms in the castle, and now he was standing outside in the fresh morning air. It felt good to be outside again. "What are we doing here?" Ron asked.

"It's the lowest point in the castle. I had to wait until the river was high enough." Yori said to him.

"High enough?" Ron asked and looked over the stone railing. Below them was a steep fall, and the rapids of a rushing river below them.

"When the snow begins to melt, the river rises. I had to wait until it rose enough." Yori said.

"What are you going to do?" Ronald asked her, knowing he wasn't going to like the idea.

"The only way for you to escape is to fall into the river below." Yori said.

"Are you mad? I can't survive that!" Ronald shouted.

"In your weakened state, I know. Which is why I'm going to help." Yori said as she held Ronald tightly against her and stood on the stone railing.

"What are you doing? We'll die!"

"Trust me, Ronald-san."

"Trust you?" Ronald asked her.

"Please." The young woman pleaded with him. She was a vampire! She fed off of him! He couldn't trust her! But, it was only that one time. And before then, she had done her best to help her. And also – it was her eyes. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something in her eyes. Something that was comforting to him. He didn't know if it was her or some kind of mind trick like the one those other two heathens had played on him that night. What was he going to do?

"I trust you." Ronald said, and hoped he wouldn't regret it. Yorie held him tightly to her before taking a deep breath.

"When I count to three, take a deep breath and hold it." She whispered to him. Ronald immediately began taking several deep breaths, knowing what was going to happen once she reached three.

"One."

He was scared. He was so terrified that he most likely would have wet himself if he wasn't so exhausted already. He could feel his knees begin to weakening and even his breathing beginning to tremble.

"Two."

Ronald took one more glance at everything he could. It was as if his entire body and mind was trying to make one last memory. Once Yori jumped off this cliff, who knew what would happen to them? Why had he come here? Why didn't he marry Kimberly before he left for this damn place? Kimberly . . .

"Three!"

Ron closed his eyes as tight as he could as he felt the whole world around him fall away. Gravity didn't exist around him anymore. All he felt was weightlessness as the sound of the wind roared within his ears. For several brief moments, he actually felt at peace with himself and everything in the world. Until he felt the himself fall into the freezing rapids of the river below the castle. It felt as if hundreds of frozen daggers were piercing him at once. End over end he was tossed through the mighty river. More than once he felt his body being smashed against the various rocks the were lined along the shore. His lungs were screaming for air, and he was sure that Yori wasn't holding onto him any more. Trying to make sense of where he was, Ronald felt his feet hit something hard and forced himself to kick!

Ronald's head broke the surface of the river and inhaled a lung full of air before he felt his right shoulder hit one of the large rocks that jutted out from the river. He was being tossed around like a child's rag doll. He had to get out of the river as soon as he can. Forcing his limbs to move, he tried to grab onto the rocky shore or the large rocks that jutted from the river itself, but he couldn't gain a firm grip. His fingers couldn't hold on. Instead of being bled to death by the monsters inside the castle, it looked like Ron would meet his end at the bottom of the river. He was ready to let the river take him away before he felt something grip his arm so tightly, he could swear that the bone was fixing to be crushed.

As Ronald coughed and spit the water out of his lungs, he felt himself being pulled from the river and onto he grassy shore. As he coughed more of the river water out of his body, he could feel the warm sun on his skin and a cold breeze against his face. As he opened his eyes, he once again saw Yori standing above him. Both were in the shade of a large tree that provided them shade from the noon sun.

"Y-you saved me." He wheezed.

"You can rest, but not for long. When the others find that you're gone, they'll send the gypsies to find you." Yori said to him.

"But – where can I go?"

"There's a path right here. Follow it, and it will lead you to a monastery. The nuns there can offer you shelter and nurse you back to health." Yori said as she turned to leave. She was almost gone when Ronald lifted his arm and grasped her wrist.

"T-thank you. Forgive me for – assuming you were – were a monster. Like them." Ronald said.

"I am a monster, Ronald-san. But I am one with a heart." She said as she stepped into the light. Immediately, Ron saw her skin begin to burn, like she had been in the daylight for hours. "I have to return. I haven't fed in weeks, and the sun is deadly to me now. Go home, save your lover, Ronald-san. And never return here, please. Save yourself." Yori said before she dashed away in a blur.

* * *

**London**

Shego awoke with a startled breath. It was almost as if one of her hand maidens were trying to tell her something. But the distance was too great. The bond between master and servant wouldn't work like it should. Whatever the news was, it had better be that Stoppable was dead. As Shego stretched her limbs, she smiled as she felt the warmth of another laying next to her as their heart pulsed. Pushing the cool and soft sheets aside, she smiled as the nude form Kimberly Possible clung to her. It was as if the young woman was scared that she would leave her alone. That wouldn't happen. Not now, and as far as she was concerned, not ever again. She kissed the young woman's forehead and smiled as Kimberly let a satisfied moan escape.

"I have traveled oceans of time to find you. I promise, we will never be separated again. My beloved princess." Shego said as she caressed Kimberly's sleeping face. She then wrapped her arms around Kimberly, and drifted off to the first satisfied sleep she had had in over hundreds of years. Once again, two hearts were beating as one.


	6. A Lover Scorned

**London**

Kimberly was once again at Monique's large home, hoping that her ailing friend was improving once more. Her mother, Wade, and Professor Demens never left her side. She wasn't sure what it was that they were doing, but Monique did seem to be getting better a little bit every day. The Professor had said that hanging the wreaths of garlic was for medicinal purposes, but she had a hard time believing that. She also found it strange that at night, Mr. Flagg would be guarding the back of the house with what was called a Henry repeating rifle while two other servants would guard the front. Kimberly couldn't help but feel nervous since there was obviously more to her dear friend's sickness than they were letting on. It only made her anxiety worse since her own mother, a doctor and sometimes one of her only confidants as well, was doing her best to hide the truth from her.

To try and ease her feelings, Kimberly was sitting in the gardens and enjoying the scents of the roses and other flowers that were now in bloom. As she inhaled the sweet smells, she kept thinking of her friend. The smell of the roses that had been in her room that night she and her foreign friend had made love. Her heart was filled with guilt at what she ha done. She had betrayed the love and trust her fiancé, Ronald, had placed in her. But at the same time, she couldn't help herself. In a strange way, she felt complete when she was with Shego. Like a missing part of her had been found. And being with her, feeling her body against hers in such an embrace felt completely right. She did feel guilty for having her affair, but she also didn't regret it at the same time. She was so confused that it felt like her heart was at war with her brain.

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss?" Professor Demens asked as he entered the gardens.

"I was just thinking of – Monique. How is she, Professor?" Kimberly asked the older gentleman.

"She grows stronger by the day. Hopefully, she will make a full recovery." Demens said.

"Professor, may I ask a favor of you?"

"That depends on what the favor is, Miss Possible." Demens said with a small smile.

"I know there is something else going on here. There is more to the illness than what everyone is letting on."

"Miss Possible,"

"Please don't treat me as ignorant, for I am far from that. With a simple cold or flu, you wouldn't have armed men patrolling the house all through the night. And Mr. Vaughn wouldn't be here twenty-four hours a day and watching his fiancé like a hawk with a pistol hidden in his jacket. I beg of you Professor, please tell me what is wrong." Kimberly said. Professor lightly bit his lower lip and rubbed his goatee in thought as he glanced back at the house. With a deep sigh, he glanced as Miss Possible one more time before having a seat on a stone bench near some of the blooming orchids.

"At your mother's request, I can not tell you what we are dealing with." Demens said.

"But,"

"However, your assumptions are correct. There is more to your friend's illness than just a simple infection. We hope that the precautions we are taking will prevent further episodes. That's all I can tell you, I'm afraid." Demens said as he stood back up. "I will say this, Miss Kimberly. There are darks in this world, and there are lights. And you, Madame Kimberly, are surely one of the lights." Demens said before leaving.

Kimberly sat down on another stone bench as she sighed in frustration. As if there weren't enough turmoil in her personal life, now it looked as if her best friend's life may be in danger as well. Why couldn't things just stay as simple as they once were and not get so complicated? At that moment, she wished she had a friend to talked to. She wished Ronald were there, he was always the one person she could completely open up to. But at the same time, her heart yearned for her foreign friend. To be held in her arms and comforted. To let the exquisite young woman she had come to know to protect her from the harshness of life and sweep it all away. Even if the embrace would only be for a few short moments. But a moment in her arms felt like a blessed and happy eternity.

"Miss Possible?" a servant asked Kimberly, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A message just arrived for you. From Romania."

"Romania?" Kimberly asked as she took the message. As the servant turned and left, Kim quickly opened the letter and quickly began to read it's contents.

"_Dear Miss Kimberly Anne Possible,_

_Several nights ago, we discovered your fiancé Ronald Stoppable on the road to our abbey. He is currently suffering from an extreme fever and illness that many of us have seen before. He requests that you come join him as soon as possible, so that you may immediately be married. _

_With God's Blessings,_

_Sister Agatha."_

Kim couldn't believe what she was reading. After so many days without hearing anything from Ronald, she finally held proof that he was alive! She hugged the letter closely to her chest as a broad smile formed on her face. He was alive, and wanted to be married to her as soon as possible! She couldn't be happier. As she pictured herself and Ronald standing at the Alter in front of a priest and reciting their vows, a loud gasp escaped from her as Ronald's image was soon replaced by her lover. Shego. What was she to do? She was engaged to Ronald and had loved him for so many years, but she realized that she was in love with Shego as well. As she looked down at the letter that was still in her hands, her mind began to spin.

* * *

Monique moaned as she began to wake from her sleep. Her entire body ached, but her head almost felt as if it were on fire. Tsmell of garlic also filled the room like a London fog. She didn't know which one was making her feel sick the most. The smell of the garlic, or the illness she had contracted. As she opened her eyes to the glare of the morning sun, she could see Wade talking to an older gentleman and her fiancé on the balcony outside her large bedroom window. She had been asleep for so many days, but she couldn't remember that much from when she was awake. But she believed the man was named Demens. Someone who would help her feel better. If hanging all this garlic was supposed to make her feel better, then the man's license to practice medicine should be revoked.

Monique tried to sit up in her bed, sick and tired of doing nothing more but sleep all day. As she did so, she was surprised that her arms were almost trembling as she pushed herself upward. It was like she had no more strength in her limbs at all. Monique thought she was getting better, but it felt more like she was getting worse.

"Let me help you." A familiar voice said as someone helped her sit upright and lean her against her headboard. As Monique took a deep breath and made herself comfortable, she smiled as soon as she saw Kimberly sitting next to her bed. "How do you feel?" her friend asked her.

"You know that bug my butler stepped on the night of my party?"

"Yes."

"I feel worse than what that bug was feeling afterward." She said, earning a small laugh from both Kimberly and herself. "Kimberly, you are absolutely glowing this morning."

"I am?" Kimberly asked as she felt her cheeks become slightly flushed. She would have thought that with her current conundrum, she would look quite the opposite.

"Absolutely. And I think I know why." Monique said with a sly grin on her face as Kimberly's eyes began to widen slightly.

"It-it's only because I – I finally received a letter about Ronald. He's,"

"Kimberly, you don't have to explain. I won't judge you." Monique said as she placed her hand over her friend's and squeezed it lightly. "I know too well the games the heart can play on someone."

"Monique, I'm so confused." Kimberly confessed as a few tears began to roll down her face. "I – I never imagined something like this would happen to me." Kimberly said as she tried her best to stop crying and wiped her tears away. "I feel like I'm being torn apart. Ronald wants me to join him in Romania so we can finally be married. But how do I tell him that – that I've – I've betrayed his faith in me?"

"It comes down to this. Do you love Ronald?"

"You know I do."

"Do you love this other person in your life?"

"Yes, I do." Kimberly wept.

"Then you have to let your heart decide for you. It's that simple."

"But I don't want to hurt anyone, Monique!" Kimberly protested.

"Love is many things, Kimberly. And sadly, pain is one part of it. No matter who you choose, someone is going to be hurt as a result. But Kimberly, it would be unfair to be with one while you desire another." Monique said to her.

"How did you decide? How did you know that you wanted to be with Dustin?" Kimberly asked.

"I cried for hours. After I calmed down, I thought about each of them. And in the end, I just let my heart decide for me. I love Brick and Wade, but it was Dustin that I love. I don't know why, but I feel like I almost can't breath without him near me. Even though I feel so sick now, I feel like I'm the luckiest woman in the world whenever he's close to me." She said as she glanced out the window. She smiled when Dustin saw her and blew a kiss toward her. In return, Monique acted like she caught it and placed it on her cheek before returning her gaze to Kimberly.

"Is it really that simple?" Kimberly asked her.

"Yes and no. It depends on who you love." Monique said and squeezed Kimberly's hand. "Just let your heart decide." She said to her friend.

"I guess I have a lot of thinking to do then." Kimberly said as she stood to her feet. "Please, feel better soon." Kimberly said.

"I'll be out of this bed and back on my feet in no time at all." Monique said with a smile as Kimberly left, allowing a maid to enter the room.

"It's nice to see you awake, Miss. Can I get you anything?"

"Some water." Monique said as she tried to make herself more comfortable. "One more thing.

"What's that?"

"Later tonight, please take down all this garlic." Monique said to the servant.

"But Dr. Load and the Professor,"

"Don't have to sleep in here tonight, I do. Please, just for tonight. I feel like the fumes are going to make me worse." Monique said.

"Very well, ma'am." The maid said reluctantly as she turned and left.

If the maid had been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have noticed that Kimberly had set herself in one of the chairs that sat in the hallway. As she looked at the letter about her fiancé, more and more tears fell from her cheeks and onto the paper she held. She had listened to Monique's words, but that didn't end the torment and confusion that was swirling about inside of her own mind. She laid the letter down in her lap and closed her eyes as she tried to take several deep breaths to calm herself. She needed to figure out what to do at the situation at hand. And she needed to do something about it now. As she opened her eyes, her crying now under her own control once more, she stiffened her posture as she came to a decision in her mind. She hoped she was making the right one as she stood to her feet and walked toward the staircase. There were preparations she needed to make. But is she had truly done what her friend had suggested to her only minutes ago, she would have made her choice with her heart. Instead, she was listening to a rational decision her brain had forced into her train of thought, and was now carrying it out. And she left through the front door of Monique's large home, she said only one thing to herself before leaving.

"Ronald must never know of us."

* * *

**Later that night**

The young maitre d' was scratching of the names that had made a reservation at the restaurant he was employed in, but had failed to arrive when they were supposed to. So far, most of the seats were still full and a part of him was glad that so many hadn't arrived. As he continued to check the large clock that hung near the doorway and the list ni front of him, he began feeling a strange sensation. It almost felt like he was being watched by something. As he looked up again, part of him flinched as he saw a tall woman wearing a black and dark green suit attire in front of him. She had long black hair, pale skin, and amazing green eyes. But what was puzzling the young man was that he had just looked at that clock a few seconds ago and could had sworn she wasn't there. There wasn't even any sign of her shadow approaching. Maybe he had just been working too long that day.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked the woman.

"Yes, I have a reservation. Under the name Dracul." She said in an accent that the young man wasn't familiar with. He quickly looked down the list until he found the name he was looking for.

"Here it is. A reservation for – two?"

"Yes. My friend is Kimberly Anne Possible. Has she arrived yet?" the woman asked, knowing that Kimberly never wanted to be late. In fact, Kimberly had always arrived early for each of their outings.

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. In fact, she was here earlier."

"She was?"

"Yes. She wanted us to let you know she wouldn't be able to make it. In fact, she left this letter for you." The young man said as he opened a drawer and removed the large envelope that had the name "Shego" written in cursive on the front. With a very confused look on her face, the woman took the letter and examined it. "Do you still wish to dine here?"

"No, thank you. Sorry for the trouble." The woman said as she turned and left.

* * *

**Later . . .**

Shego quickly entered Carfax Abbey, causing all the nocturnal creatures that were still there to quickly leave. Shego had gotten there as fast as she could, making sure no one could see her. Something in her gut was telling her that something was wrong. It didn't make sense for Kimberly to cancel their dinner and only leave her a note. Taking a quick breath, Shego opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't what she saw in front of her.

"_My Princess,_

_I have received word that my fiancé is alive, but had fallen gravely ill. He had asked for me to join him in Romania so that we can be married. I have treasured our moments together, but I promised him my heart first. It would be against my morals and principals to say no to him now. I beg you, please forgive me for not telling you face to face. I was afraid that if I saw you, I would not be able to go through with my decision. You will forever have a place in my heart. _

_With Oceans of Love,_

_Kimberly."_

Small drops of bright crimson blood fell on the letter as the hands that held it trembled. Shego had collapsed to her knees as she more tears of blood coated her face and stained the letter and dirt covered concrete floor. This wasn't fair. To have suffered and sacrificed so much to find her heart's desire, only for it to be taken away from again? Wait, this didn't make sense! This wasn't right! Ronald was still supposed to be in her castle! Her servants were to keep him weak, and they would not dare disobey her! No, only one would. One who still saw herself as a human being. The one pain in her backside that would have done her best to set Stoppable free!

"**YORI!"** Shego screamed into the nights, her voice echoing and carried across the land like that of a mighty sonic boom. Her heart break was now filled and replaced by pure blood lust and rage! Whenever her anger came to life, there was always hell to pay. And tonight, Shego wanted revenge! She wanted someone else to feel her pain! An eye for an eye, and she didn't give a flying crap if it made everyone blind in the end! No one breaks her heart and gets away with it!

Inside Carfax Asylum, all was rather well for once. Laying on the floor of his cell, a straight jacket firmly binding his arms together, Lipski slept like a small child. For days, he had kept moaning on and on about his master, and asking why had his master forgotten him? There would even be times he had been crying like a child that was being punished. Now, he was only sad and tired. He was now somewhat shell of the lunatic he had been only weeks before. But as he lay on the floor asleep, his eyes bolted open and he began to quiver in fear. His bottom lip began tremble as he tried to curl into a fetal position.

"The master . . . is very, very angry!"

* * *

**Monique's Home**

It was a quiet, dark, and moonless night as a thick blanket of fog covered at the ground and four feet up. Professor Demens, Dr. Load, and Anne Possible had left the mansion to the library in London, needing to do some more research on the problem that had been plaguing Monique. Still not sure if Demens was right about what was making Monique sick, Monique's fiancé and the Texan had chosen to stay behind and were in charge of guarding the house for the night once more. Brick was guarding the back yard while two men with shotguns guarded the front of the house. Inside Monique's room, Mr. Dustin Vaughn sat in a chair not too far from Monique's bed and kept a watchful eye over her. Across his lap lay a dueling pistol that was loaded as he did his best to keep himself awake. They all thought they were ready for anything that dared tried to come anywhere near Monique. Of course, that's what anyone in their position would think when you can't see the predator until it's on top of you.

One servant was walking pass the walkway that leads to the closed iron gate, just glancing here and there. Everything had looked clear so far. He was about to move onward until he thought he saw something moving. He couldn't tell what it was at first. Maybe some sort of animal? But there was a large stone wall that surrounded and protected the property. How could an animal. He realized it was also too large to be an animal. It was a person! Somehow, that had gotten through the gate! As the person approached, he could see that it was a tall and pale woman that was wearing a large black cloak. He also saw that she had a very displeased look on her face.

"Hey! You ain't allowed here!" the servant shouted at the woman.

"I have important business inside. Get out of my way." The woman said as she walked closer to the servant.

"I don't care if you're the bleedin Pope! No one's allowed in,"

The servant never got to finish his sentence. As soon as the woman was close to him, a swift backhanded strike to the man's face sent him flying halfway across the yard and into the large decorative fountain. The servant struck his head against the concrete sculpture as several of his teeth fell from his mouth and was soon unconscious as he floated in a pool of cool water. She was soon close enough to the house now that she could hear the heart and blood pumping of everyone that was in the large mansion. She could also smell the scent of the young Nubian woman inside fill her nostrils like the smell of a finely prepared meal to starving humans. As she began to approach the front steps that lead to the house's main entrance, the other armed servant decided to make his presence known as he stepped out of the bushes and aimed his shotgun at the woman's chest.

"Don't make me use this, bitch!" the man said loudly, hoping the woman couldn't see how nervous he was.

"Or what?" she asked him as she continued moving toward the house, her pace never slowing.

"If I have to I'll blast you! I'll do it!" the man shouted, even louder than before.

"Oh, really?" the woman asked the man, unimpressed at his weapon or his threat to her.

Within the blink of an eye, the woman rushed to the armed little man. Her highly developed muscles allowing her to travel faster than the man could follow and gain the element of surprise. Within moments, she was now standing several inches in front of the man as she grabbed the barrel of the gun and crushed it in her grip. The man's face was pale as chalk as he tried to form words, but was unable as he trembled and shook all over with pure terror. With her free hand, the woman grasped the man's throat and lifted him into the air as if he were made out of paper. The man gasped and sputtered as she glared at him and tossed the now useless weapon into the woods over the far wall and away. There were so many things she could do to this little whelp. As angry as she was, she would enjoy torturing him and tormenting him as he would beg for death. There was a reason history had called her the Impaler. But he wasn't the one she wanted. No one would care if he died a miserable death or not.

Her grip around his throat tightened and she could hear bones begin to crack. He tried to yell and gasp for more air, but found it useless. He was soon spitting blood from his mouth as his vocal cords and larynx were crushed into nothing more but useless meat. She could feel his wind pipe begin to collapse as the man's eyes began to widen almost to the point that it seemed they would fall out of his head. With a flick of her wrist, the man's neck snapped like a pretzel and was soon tossed to the side. Where the body landed, they wouldn't find him until morning or noon the next day. With that obstacle gone, the woman turned toward the large double doors and knocked. A small smile crossed the woman's lips as she saw the young maid that answered the door and realized it was the same one she had encountered here her first night in London.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" the young woman asked.

"Remember me, won't you?" Shego asked as her eyes turned blood red.

The young woman was frightened at first, but only at first. As she gazed into Shego's blood red eyes, a wave calmness washed over her. In fact, she was delighted to see the woman standing in front of her. It was the same feeling when an old friend that's been away finally comes to pay a visit. "Oh, it's you."

"I have some urgent business upstairs, with the lady of the house. Could you keep the others distracted until I'm finished?" Shego asked the maid.

"Of course I will, ma'am." The maid said.

"Thank you." Shego said as she stepped into the large mansion. "Remember, I'm not to be disturbed at all." Shego said as she walked up the stairs while the maid set out to do as she was told.

* * *

Dustin was doing his best to wipe the sleep from his eyes as his head began to feel heavier and heavier. Several times, the gun had almost fallen from his lap as he drifted between the states of awake and asleep. This was all so ridiculous. In fact, he had never heard of something so preposterous all his life. A vampire was attacking his fiancé? What rubbish! Vampires were merely monsters people made up in order to scare their children into taking orders and minding their manners. When that lunatic Professor returned, he should shove this pistol up the old man's ass and see if his brains were actually in his head at all. At least all the garlic had been removed earlier. Dustin checked the bed one more time and saw Monique was sleeping peacefully for once. As he covered his mouth with the back of his hand as he yawned, he was surprised to see the door to the room swing open. A tall figure in a black cloak entered the room and stood by Monique's bed, being as still as a statue in the gardens.

"Who the devil are you?" Dustin demanded as he stood to his feet and tried to cock the hammer of the pistol back. But he had very little practice with fire arms during his life, and found the process a little more difficult than he had imagined. The hooded figure turned and began to growl like a threatened wolf. As Dustin looked at the figure, the last thing he saw was a pair of red eyes before he was shoved so hard and swiftly that he sailed across the room and collided with the wall at the far end. Dustin immediately crumpled to the floor in a heap, now unconscious.

"What's going on?" Monique asked, startled awake by the sudden noise. Her eyes widened and her heart raced as she saw her fiancé on the floor in the light of the moon outside. For a brief instance, she was scared that he was dead. She looked across the room to see what could have done this to him when she saw the cloaked figure next to her.

"Who?"

"Be silent." The figure said firmly as she glared at Monique. Despite what was going on, Monique felt calm and relaxed, obeying the orders of the woman standing before her. Monique should have been screaming for help, but she felt like she and everything in the world was at peace at that very moment. "That's better." The figure said as she lowered her hood and let her long black hair flow free and pushed the cloak back with her shoulders. With the cloak no longer covering her body, it showed she was still in a formal emerald green shirt with a black vest on top of it.

"Tell me the truth right now. Are you and Kimberly Anne Possible friends?" the woman demanded.

"Yes, we are. We have been since we were children." Monique answered calmly. The woman on the other hand let out a frustrated growl as she walked to the large window.

"I will not lie to you. I do not regret drinking your blood. It has given me an energy and life I haven't felt in countless years. But if I had truly known you and Kimberly were friends, I wouldn't have come near you." Shego said as her fists clenched tightly. "I thought it would be impossible for me to ever love anyone as much as I love her. But your impotent men and their arrogance have taken her from me. I can not let that stand!" Shego said as she turned to face Monique, enforcing the mental hold she had over the young woman in the bed.

"Shakespeare said it best. "Tickle us, do we not laugh? Prick us, do we not bleed? Wrong us . . . do we not revenge?'" she growled.

"What are you going to do?" Monique asked her.

"These acts against me demand retribution. If they dare take something precious from me, then I will take something just as precious from them." Shego said as she walked closer to the bed. "From now on, your sun will be the moon. Even though you may partake of food and drink, they will never give the same pleasure they once enjoyed from them. I forevermore condemn you to walk in the shadow of death. You will spend the rest of eternity feeding off of the blood of the living in order to survive." Shego said as she stopped the next to the bed, grabbing a handful of Monique's hair in her fist, and jerked her head backwards to expose the soft skin of her neck.

"You were once their greatest dream. Now you will be that of their worst nightmares." Shego said as her fangs extended to their full length. Without being gentle or giving any comfort at all, Shego viciously sank her teeth into Monique's neck with one savage bite as Monique screamed in pain.

* * *

Their research at the library had taken longer than expected. Most of what they read on vampires were things the Professor had already known. Athoer pieces of information were either passed down from word of mouth, or just didn't make any sense at all. But one thing most of the texts they read did agree on one thing. In order for a vampire to retain its power, it must sleep in the soil of it's homeland. Tomorrow, either Demens or Anne would have to start making contacts to find out if any rather large or strange shipments of earth had arrived to London recently and to where. If they could destroy the boxes of earth, they could destroy this vampire that was attacking Monique.

As soon as they reached the closed iron gate to the mansion, Wade sent the driver along his way after he paid him while Anne removed the keys to the gate from the handbag she had carried with her. Usually, a servant would be outside the gate to let them in, but most of them were either guarding the property or had been sent home. At the moment, you couldn't be too careful with anything or anyone. Soon, the gate was open and all three began traveling back to the house. As they walked, Demens already knew something wasn't right. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see movement by the large fountain that was not too far from the house's main entrance. He wasn't sure what he was seeing at first because of the small fog bank. He had to wait until they were closer to see clearly, but it was Brick Flagg pulling one of the servant s from out of the fountain! Demens immediately began to run toward the fountain with Wade and Anne soon following behind him. When they were now only a few feet away, Demens could see that there was blood coming from the back of the servant's head as Brick looked him over.

"What happened?" Demens demanded as he kneeled next to the unconscious servant.

"I don't know. I thought I heard Monique screaming not too long ago. I was running around the house because the damn maid said she had just mopped the floor. Then I found this dude." Brick explained as Anne kneeled next to Demens and Flagg and examined the servant's injuries.

"It's a scalp laceration. But he might have a concussion as well. I'll tend to him, both of you check on Monique. Now!" Anne said.

All three of them took Anne's advice and ran to the mansion as fast as possible. The anxiety that was growing inside Wade and Brick became greater when they saw that the front door was wide open and there was no sign of the other servant that was supposed to have been standing guard. As soon as they entered the mansion, they saw the young maid, Sarah, standing at the foot of the steps.

"Damn it, girl! Move out of the way!" Brick shouted at her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you can't go upstairs right now." She said simply.

"Why the hell not? It's bad enough when you wouldn't let me in through the backdoor!" Brick shouted.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid," Sarah stopped in mid-sentence as she placed a hand against the side of her head and looked as if she was about to pass out. Demens and Wade quickly rushed to her and helped her regain her footing as she kept blinking her eyes. She was acting as if she had just woken up from a long nap. "Professor? Doctor Load?" she asked them.

"Great! The girl's gone bananas!" Brick said.

"What's h talking about?" the maid asked.

"Sarah, what's the last thing you remember?" Demens asked her, ignoring Brick's comment.

"T-there was a knock at the door. I answered it and – I – I think there was a person there. Someone in a – a black cloak." Sarah said.

"Monique!" Wade said.

Demens bounded up the stairs ahead of the other two, praying to God himself that they weren't too late. Hoping that by whatever slim chance they still had, Monique would still be all right. Demens reached the door and turned the knob only to find that it was locked. Demens tried to ram the door with his shoulder in order to open it, but to no avail. Finally, with all of his frustration, he kicked the door as hard as he could and saw it open before him. Demens rushed in and gasped at the sight before him. Monique was laying on the bed with her hand clutching her neck with blood seeping through her closed fingers. Large amounts of blood covered both her pillow and her sheets as she tried to point to the open window that lead to the empty balcony outside. They were too late. The Professor immediately went to Monique's side in order to treat her wound and saw she was already becoming dangerously pale. As he removed her hand, a part of him blanched at the wound that had been given her as arterial spray hit him across the face.

"MONIQUE!" Wade cried as he and Brick entered the room. Demens used a pillow case as a bandage and applied pressure to the wound in her neck while Brick found Dustin and helped him to his feet.

"What happened?" Brick shouted as he slapped Dustin across the face to wake him up.

"What are you – MONIQUE, NO!" Dustin shouted as he saw, horror struck, at what had been done to his fiancé.

"Where's the garlic?" Demens shouted.

"What?"

"The garlic, Dustin! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE DAMN GARLIC?" Demens shouted as loud as he could as he tried to find anything he could use as a needle and thread.

"She – She couldn't t-the smell of it anymore. Sh-she ordered it to be taken down." Dustin said as he began to hyperventilate.

"Why didn't you protect her, asshole?" Brick asked as he removed his coat and ripped off his sleeve for Demens to use as a new bandage, the pillow case Demens was holding becoming a deep red with blood.

"I – I tried. I tried." Dustin said as he began to bawl uncontrollably.

Demens's hands were becoming covered in Monique's blood as her color began to fade even faster by the passing second. As he looked for another piece of cloth, he felt Monique grasp his hand as tightly as she could. Her strength was draining as fast as her color was as she signaled for him to come closer her to him. He quickly lowered his head to try and hear what she had to say to him.

"Forgive me, please." He begged the dying young girl.

"K-keep them safe." Monique whispered as she tried to squeeze his hand again. "F-for m-me. K-keep them s-safe." She gasped.

"I swear to you." Demens said as he firmly grasped her verly clammy hand in his own. With one final exhale, Monique closed her eyes and stopped moving. Demens placed two fingers on the other side of her neck and searched for any signs of a pulse. From her jaw and down to her collar bone he searched, but found no pulse in her at all. Slowly, he lifted the blood soaked piece of cloth from her neck and saw no blood escaping from the wound anymore. He slowly looked up at all three men as their faces were locked in horror and disbelief. "She's gone." He simply said.

"Damn you, Dustin." Wade growled as he forced himself to look away.

"What?" the young banker asked.

"You heard what I said. This is your fault! You were supposed to keep an eye on her!" Wade shouted as he glared daggers at the man that stole his heart's desire away from him.

"MY FUALT? WHAT ABOUT FLAGG? HE WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP GUARD OUTSIDE!" Dustin screamed.

"I WAS, YOU COW PIE EATING SON OF A WHORE! IT AIN'T MY FUALT YOU BRITISH SONS OF BITCHES RUN AWAY AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE!" Brick screamed in response.

"I DIDN'T RUN!" Dustin screamed.

"No, you just fell asleep and fell on your ass!" Wade shouted back.

"**ENOUGH!**" Demens screamed louder than any of the trio before him. None of them were expecting Demens to shout as loud as he did. Let alone look so angry that his face was actually turning a deep shade of purple. "Blaming everyone will not change what has happened here tonight! The vampire was sending us a message." He growled.

That's it! I'm sick and tired of your ridiculous vampire theories! Either tell us what did this to her, or leave us in peace! I'm tired of being treated like I was a child!" Dustin shouted.

"You are a grown man?" Demens asked him.

"Of course I am!"

"And what of you two?" Demens asked Brick and Wade.

"Of course we are." Brick said.

"Then all of you come here. Take a look at the wound in her neck." Demens said simply.

"For God's sake, she just died!" Dustin said.

"You want answers, I'm trying to give them to you. Either you can look at the wound, or you can leave and weep like children." Demens told them.

It took them a few moments, but all three were soon at Demens side. After waving for Wade to be the first to look at Monique, the old Professor reached down and slowly turned Monique's head so that the wound would be exposed. "What do you see?" he asked his former student.

"My God. I-it looks – the bite mark is – human." Wade said in shock.

"Impossible!" Dustin said.

"Look for yourself, is you don't believe him."

Dustin was having a hard time looking at Monique in such a state. He wasn't used to violence or scenes of such a grizzly nature. Brick was a trained hunter and seen more than his fair shares of gun and knife fights. He didn't find it any easier to look at Monique in such a way, but he could stomach the sight of the blood. Neither of them were doctors like Wade and Demens, but both knew a human bite mark when they saw it.

"I don't believe it. I can see it, and I still don't believe it." Brick said.

"Wade, look at the area of the canine's. What do you see?" Demens asked him.

"All the teeth marks are deep, but – the canines are the one that punctured the artery. All the way through it and into the deeper tissue." Wade said.

"It looks like her throat was almost ripped out." Brick said.

"A vampire, mainly older ones, will make sure a rich and healthy food source will last as long as possible. And they will also do their best to keep their existence a secret. Wade, you yourself said that you thought the first marks were insect bites." Demens said.

"I remember. But why do this now? If the creature wanted her to last, why kill her?" Wade asked.

"I don't know. Most likely, it's because we know he's here and that we're looking for him. He wasn't just destroying his food source, he was sending a threat." Demens said as he looked at Monique again, and noticed something odd. Out of the corner of her mouth, there was a small trail of blood. But Monique hadn't been coughing up any blood when she had spoken her last words.

"Anne is still outside treating one of the servants. We also need to fetch an undertaker at once." Demens said.

"I'll – I'll tell Annie what's happened." Brick said as he left the room as fast he could.

"I'll fetch the undertaker. She was to be my wife, I'll handle the arrangements." Dustin said as he too left to get away from the sight.

"I'll go help Anne." Wade said as he began to leave.

"Wade, wait just one minute." Demens said as he turned Monique's head to face him and opened her mouth. He could see blood that was already dried on her lips, her tongue, and part of her teeth. But there wasn't that much of it. Not as much as there should have been if she had been chocking on her own blood.

"What are you doing?" Wade asked him.

"I – thought she might have bitten her tongue. Wade, we need to keep an eye on Monique after she has been put to rest." Demens said to him.

"Why? You don't think this monster will try to desecrate her body, do you?"

"I'm not sure, Wade. Monique was young and healthy. A vampire could live weeks off of her blood before she passed away. A vampire, not even a young new born, would just kill fresh prey like this for any reason. I don't what's going to happen next, but I have a bad feeling that this isn't over."


	7. Rise of the Vampire Hunters

**London**

The train ride to London had been too long for her taste. The sun had set some time ago, but she couldn't help but smile as they pulled into London and toward the rail station. She wouldn't lie, she enjoyed seeing the fascinating sites that were beyond her home of England and encountering other cultures. But she kept wondering if she had been doing the right thing. And the closer she had gotten to her fiancé Ronald, the more she wished she was with her strange friend Shego. She thought once she was finally with Ronald again, these feelings and thoughts would go away. However, she had been mistaken. When she arrived at the Abbey, she was shocked to see the state Ronald was in. He had recovered much of his health since the sisters had found him, but most of the blonde hair on either side of his head had now turned as white as the wedding dress Kimberly had brought with her. His smile that had always cheered her up and always seemed to be so full of merriment and what was Ron's goofy nature had lost some of its exuberance, and it also looked as if Ronald himself had aged five years or more when he had only been gone for a few months. And whenever she tried to ask him about what happened, he would become very still. And the look of pure fear that would cover his eyes was very unsettling. He refused to say one word about what happened to him, no matter how many times she had asked him. What had happened to the one person she could truly call her best friend?

Kimberly was happy, even thought anxious, during the ceremony. She knew she still loved Ronald. She could feel it in her heart and in the first kiss they shared as husband and wife. And later that evening, when they finally were able to be together as they had so wanted and dreamed for so long, she felt his love for her. It was everything she had hoped it would be. But a part of her still felt empty. Like some part of her heart was missing a key piece, and she feared she knew what it was. But she could never tell Ronald of her unfaithfulness to him. How she was yearning for the loving embrace of another. And inside her aching heart, she prayed the one she longed for could forgive her for choosing someone else.

After what seemed like an endless journey, Kimberly felt some relief as the train came to a stop as steam covered the entire platform. Kimberly helped her husband to his feet before gathering the few things they had with them and finally exiting the train car. As both stood on the platform, it was as if they both were just enjoying the fact that they were home once more. A since of relief seemed to wash over them as they began to hope that maybe they could put this dark chapter of their life behind them and continue onward with their lives. As they made their way to the busy London streets, both were surprised to Kimberly's mother, Anne, was waiting for them. Without any hesitation, both gave the woman a warm hug of affection. But when they parted from their hug, it was then noticed the dark circles under her mother's eye's and look of fatigue about her.

"Is everything all right?" Kimberly asked her.

"Why do you ask?"

"You look like you haven't slept in days." Ronald said, noticing how tired Anne seemed to be as well.

"Things have been – not well." Anne said as she grasped her daughter's arms firmly and looked into her eyes. Already, Kimberly could tell that what she was about to say wasn't going to be good. "Kimberly, Monique passed away while you were gone."

Kimberly covered her face in shock as tears began to fall from her eyes. Ronald's face was a look of disbelief as he too began to weep. Monique was a friend to both of them. Kimberly had told him of her illness, but to hear that she was gone was almost too much for either of them.

"H-how? Was it – because of her illness?" Kimberly asked her mother.

"Yes and no, Kimberly." Anne said.

"What does that mean?" Ronald asked her.

"I'll explain it all later, when both of you have had a chance to rest. But until this matter is resolved, both you will be staying at the Asylum."

"What?" Ronald asked.

"There is more to the cause of Monique's illness than what either of you know. And right now, the Asylum is the safest place for the both you. I promise, I'll explain later. But for now, let's get out of here." Anne said as she took one of Kimberly's bags and led them to a coach she had waiting outside.

Even though it was busy and night had already fallen, Ronald took a brief look at his home. Here, he hoped he would be safe. As Kimberly and Anne climbed into the coach, he felt a strange cold sensation trickle down his spine. It was the same feeling he had when he was at the castle in Transylvania. It was the strange feeling that he was being watched. Ronald looked about the busy street once more, hoping it was just the chill in the air that caused this feeling. But his eyes found something in the crowd, only a few feet from the carriage. Or rather, someone! It took Ronald a minute in order for him to fully realize who he was looking at, but the face he saw would be one that he would never forget. She was wearing a long dark coat while holding a cane with what seemed to be a green stone at the top of it, but he knew that person. He knew that face! The long black hair, the pale skin, her stance showing a since of power about her, and her green eyes that turned to blood red as she glared at him. It was the Countess! As they both gazed at each other, he could swear he could hear her growling at him.

"Ronald?" Kimberly asked from inside the carriage.

"It's the woman herself! But she's grown young!" Ronald said as he looked at his wife. But when he looked back into the crowd, he saw nothing. No one was standing there, or even bothering to glance in their direction. But he could have sworn that he had just seen her standing there! Not two moments ago! Hadn't he?

"Ronald, who are you talking about? There's no one there." Kimberly said as Anne looked at the crowd to see what her new son-in-law was talking about.

"Nothing, KP. M-my mind must be playing tricks on me." Ronald said hesitantly as he climbed into the carriage. As soon as the door was shut, they were on their way. Had any of them glanced behind them, they would have seen the pale woman with red eyes looking at them as she growled with contempt. One way or another, her beloved would be hers once again. And Heaven help those that stood in her way.

* * *

**The Cemetery**

It had been days, almost weeks, since they had sealed Monique's body inside her family tomb. Even though they couldn't watch the tomb twenty-four hours a day, all three of her suitors had been doing their best to keep tabs on the tomb and updated Professor Demens on what they had been told. But what had been frustrating for them was what they all had been reading in the paper. For the past few days, several children had been attacked in the dead of night. Most of them were orphans that had to do their best to survive on the streets of London day after day. But each of them had been lured to a hidden location by a woman in a flowing white dress and veil. The children had called her the Blufer Lady. They don't recall what happened afterward, but each child was sick with a fever and what appeared to be a severe infection. Also, strange marks were also found on their necks. The papers were beggening to cause fear that an epidemic may be in the works, something along the lines of the plague.

But from what they read, Wade could tell that it was the same symptoms that Monique had been suffering from before she had died. If Monique had truly been attacked by a vampire, and there was little evidence to say otherwise, then it looked like it had moved on to another food source. Brick had been insisting that they immediately go out and start hunting the vampire and kill it as soon as possible. An eye for an eye, as he so quoted. But instead, Professor Demens had told them to meet them in the cemetery in order to check on Monique's tomb one more time. So far, all these half-truths and cryptic actions were more frustrating than anything else. If Demens knew what was happening, then why wouldn't he just tell them? At that moment, Wade wished he were back at the asylum to welcome his two old friends back. Instead, he was shivering in the cold with two men that he didn't really care for and freezing his ass off.

"I'm so sick and tired of this man's games." Dustin said as he tried to pull his coat tighter around him, observing that Wade was doing the same while Mr. Flagg was just leaning against the trunk of an old tree. "Good God, man. Aren't you cold?"

"Yeah, I'm cold. But Texas is a lot like a woman when it comes to weather. She can never make up her mind. One minute, it'll be as warm as summer and then as cold as a dead buffalo's nose. I've had to build fences and heard cows in worse weather than this." Brick said as he lit a match and ignited the tobacco in his pipe.

"All I want to know is why are we standing here, and not hunting for this Blufer Lady?" Wade mumbled.

"A good question, Dr. Load." Demens said as he appeared around a large statue of a weeping angel with two large bags in his hands. "Perhaps tonight, we will find the answer." He said as he began to walk to Monique's tomb.

"Professor Demens, Monique died in a horrible way. Can't we just let her rest?" Dustin asked the older man.

"Let me ask that with a question of my own. According to the groundskeeper, and your own eyes, you have told me the door to this crypt hasn't been opened since Monique was laid to rest inside. Is that correct?" Demens asked him.

"Yes, it's true." Dustin said.

"Then tell me, why is there evidence that this door has been recently opened?" Demens asked them.

Taking his lantern in hand, Brick Flagg knelt in front of the tomb and set the lantern on the ground. As he and Wade looked, Mr. Vaughn did nothing more than scoff. But both Brick and Wade could clearly see that the marks on the foundation were not only fresh, but deeper than they should be. Since this crypt was built, the door to it has only been opened a few times to place the family's loved ones to rest. But the marks were deeper with tiny chunks of concrete still scattered about them. This meant, the door had been opened several times since Monique was placed inside.

"You don't think the vampire is inside, do you?" Wade asked.

"That doesn't make any sense." Dustin said as they turned to him. "He kills Monique just so he could use her tomb as a hiding spot?"

"I don't want to agree with him, but that does sound kind of stupid. Maybe it's some vagrant." Flagg said.

"There's only one problem with that, Mr. Flagg." Demens said as he placed a pry bar into the gap between the door and the wall of the crypt. "Flagg, help me." Demens said as he tried to open the door. With both he and Brick working together, they were able to open the crypt enough to slide their hands in and push the heavy door the rest of the way open.

"As you can see," Demens said as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "it took two of us to open this door. How would a starving and cold vagrant be able to open it by himself?"

Demens grasped both bags in his hands as he signaled for Flagg to go ahead of him with the lantern. With one last gulp of courage, all of them entered the darkened tomb to find what was dwelling within.

* * *

They took the stairs slowly as they entered the tomb. Despite the lantern Brick was holding, it was still mostly dark inside the crypt. They could barley see anything in front of them as they descended what felt like their own personal passageway to the underworld. The entire crypt seemed so different when they had been here during the day time. Now that it was night fall, the entire crypt seemed to have changed since then. Almost like it was alive and they could hear it breathing. With relief, they soon reached the end of the stairs and into the main chamber. Brick placed the lantern on a near by hook while he and Demens used matches to light several kerosene lanterns that had been mounted on the walls. Soon, the large circular chamber was basked in a warm glow as Wade and Dustin looked upon the large stone sarcophagus in the center of the room. The family crest, along with designs of flowers in full bloom and ribbons, had been carved into the large stone box that housed Monique's coffin and her earthly remains. For all three young men, they felt like they were disturbing her at that moment.

"Professor, why are we doing this?" Wade asked.

"You will find out soon enough." Demens said as he removed two more pry bars from his large bag and handed one to Wade and one to Brick.

"You want us to open it?" Wade asked his old mentor.

"Wade, all will be explained. I promise you, you will all know the truth. Just be patient with me for a few moments longer, and help me move the stone covering aside." Demens said with a solemn and honest look on his face.

"You do whatever you like. I refuse to have anything to do with this ghastly nonsense." Dustin said as he stepped a few steps backwards.

"Gentlemen?" Demens asked.

They weren't sure why they were still listening to Demens or taking his orders, but it was a feeling in their gut they pushed them onward. It felt like a curiosity that needed to be satisfied no matter what. Both Wade and Brick inserted their pry bars as Demens did the same. With a great amount of effort and strength, they heard the stone slab begin to move. Their faces were tightening and their muscles began to slightly burn as they kept forcing the slab to open. Soon, they hear the slab move out of place and took a depe breath of relief. After gaining their breath, they pushed the rectangular stone aside, and gazed within.

"Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Brick said as he stepped away with his face as white as chalk. Demens simply turned away as he rubbed his closed eyes.

"It's as I feared." The Professor said to himself.

Dustin immediately walked to the opened tomb and looked inside to see what in the world they were talking about, and gasped at what he saw. Or, at what he didn't see. The elaborate polished coffin with golden sculptures of Monique's favorite flowers was opened. And inside the coffin was nothing. There was no sign of Monique's body in the coffin, or the entire crypt. "W-where is she?" Dustin asked as he looked to his companions, but received no answer. Turning toward Demens, Dustin drew a pistol he had been hiding within his coat and aimed it for the old man's head as he cocked the hammer back. "WHERE IS SHE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?"

"Dustin, be calm." Wade said, trying to figure out a way to avoid any bloodshed.

"SHUT UP, LOAD! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT MALLICE THIS BASTARD HAS TOWARD THE DEAD!" Dustin screamed as he pressed the barrel of the pistol to Demens' forehead as remained still and completely calm and in control. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?"

"She is Nosferatu, Mr. Vaughn. Das Vampir." Demens said.

"Impossible!" Dustin shouted.

"No, it isn't. The day she died, I noticed dried blood on her lips and in her mouth. The wound she sustained would not make her choke on her own blood. So I had to wait and see." Demens calmly told him.

"Y-you mean that . . . Monique is a vampire now?" Wade asked the old man.

"I'm afraid so. The vampire fed her his own blood as she lay dying, allowing the disease in its own blood to change her. I knew all of you loved her, and didn't want to alarm you unless I was sure. But I'm afraid that my fears are now confirmed. Monique is the Blufer Lady." Demens said to him.

"This all your fault, you sadistic old fool! I should kill you where you stand!" Dustin said as his finger began to wrap around the trigger of the pistol.

"Kill me, and the vampire's rampage will continue. Not only will others die because of his hunger and blood lust, but Monique herself will be damned as one of the undead for all eternity!" Demens shouted back, already becoming sick and tired of Dustin's immature actions.

Before any of them could say or do anything, they heard a noise that made them all look to the staircase that lead to the crypt's entrance. A single scream of fear. Not a cry that came from an animal, but of a child. And it was growing closer.

"Professor?" Wade asked.

"Extinguish all the lights! Mr. Vaughn, hide in the shadows with the rest of us and you will see that I'm right." Demens said as he gathered the pry bars while Wade and Brick extinguished the kerosene lamps.

Within moments, all of them were huddled into one corner of the crypt that would keep them from being seen by whoever was coming down the stairs. The child's cry was growing louder and louder as they say a shadow on the floor from the faint love that came from the crypt's entrance. Within moment's, they saw a large figure of a woman in a lavish white dress as she held a young child in her arms. The child was crying and doing its best to try and break free. Kicking and screaming, even hitting its attacker as hard as it possibly could. But the woman's grasp was so strong that the child may as well had been trying to attack a stone wall. The child still kept struggling, even as the woman grasped the child's face and made it turn to the side and exposed its small neck. They could hear the woman's breathing deepen and grow louder as she began to descend her head toward the child's exposed neck.

"To hell with hiding." Brick said as he took Dustin's pistol, aimed, and fired.

The bullet shattered one of the lamps, but it made the woman drop the child as it became startled by the sudden sounds. As the child ran away screaming up the stairs, Demens quickly relit their lantern while Wade relit several kerosene lamps. Before them, still deathly pale and her eyes as red as blood, was Monique as she gazed at them in fear and confusion.

"M-Monique? I-is that you?" Dustin asked as he stepped forward, almost like he was in a trance.

"D-Dustin?" she asked, her face looking like she was trying to remember a dream that she had long forgotten.

"That's not her, Mr. Vaughn. That's the Monique you knew!" Demens warned as he began to open his other bag.

"Dustin, I've been so scared. I-I don't know what's wrong with me. I've b-been so . . . hungry." She said as she actually began to look very frightened.

"Professor, what do we do?" Wade asked.

"There's a reason I chose this time of night. In a few more minutes, then sun will be out. Mr. Vaughn, don't trust anything she says!" Demens said as he saw the two walking closer to each other.

"Let me take care of her." Brick said as he reached for his knife.

"We can't risk it. She's too close to Dustin." Wade said.

"Dustin, help me." Monique pleaded with him as she reached her arms out to him, his gaze still locked onto only her. "Dustin, don't you love me anymore?"

"Monique." He whispered, almost within arms lengths of her.

"Dustin, DON'T LISTEN TO HER!" Demens shouted.

"Monique," Dustin said once more as he reached into his coat pocket, and removed a small hand mirror. "Do you remember this?" he asked her.

"My . . . hand mirror. I was . . . brushing my hair w-when you showed me the engagement ring in its reflection." Monique said, trying to remember all the details of her living life.

"I kept it, after you were,"

"Dustin, then sun is almost up! Stay strong!" Demens said as he saw sun light begin to pour in from the crypt's entrance, illuminating the polished floor.

What was he going to say? After we buried you? After you died? If she was standing here in front of him, she wasn't truly dead. So many things were happening all at once. Feelings of fear, hope, relief, all of them were colliding in Dustin's mind like a stormy see crashing against the white cliffs of Dover. What was he going to do?

"Monique, you're still beautiful."

"Dustin," she began.

"But it is not your beauty that I fell in love with. That isn't what's gone. IT'S YOUR SOUL!" Dustin shouted as he raised the mirror to Monique's face.

In his grief, Dustin did not realize what Monique was seeing in the small hand mirror. The mirror in his hand showed not Monique's reflection, but the rays of the morning light that were filtering into the tomb. Monique screamed in utter pain as the light of the sun burned her. Instead of breaking Dustin's heart, seeing Monique screaming and trying to block her eyes seemed to fill him with more and more rage.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A SHADOW OF THE WOMAN I LOVED!"

"No, Dustin! NO!" Monique screamed in terror as she backed away, wanting to avoid the painful light.

"MY LOVE HAS BECOME LOATHING, AND MY DESIRE HATRED!" he screamed at Monique's cringing form. "I COULD KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Dustin raised his hand to strike her with the mirror, only to be held back by Brick and Demens. Seizing her open window and having no where else to hide, Monique quickly fled back into her coffin that still lay open.

"Hold your horses, Dusty!" Brick said.

"Mr. Vaughn, calm yourself! Have faith! There is still a chance to save Monique's soul!" Demens said as he felt Dustin finally begin to ease and calm down. As Dustin began to try and regain his breath, Flagg and Demens let him go and watched as Dustin began to sag.

"So what's wrong with her now?" Flagg demanded.

"She's a newborn vampire, and still weak. Even the faintest light from the sun hurts her eyes. She's sleeping now, almost as if she were in a coma." Demens said as he fetched one of his bags and brought it to the side of her tomb.

"Are all vampires like this?" Wade asked.

"I only wish. The older a vampire becomes, the more resistant it is to sunlight. In order to walk out in the daylight, a young vampire must drink its own weight in blood. If not more so." Demens said as he opened his bag.

"You said there was a way to save her." Flagg said.

"To save her immortal soul, yes." Demens said without looking up.

"Then how do we do it?"

All of their eyes widened as Demens stood with a large hammer, and a large piece of wood that had been carved into a sharpened point on one end in one hand. In his other hand was a large knife that had a blade that almost looked like a deranged metal boomerang. Wade wasn't familiar with it, but Brick Flagg had heard of it. It was known as a Kukri, a weapon that was used by a band of warriors in Nepal known as the Gurkhas.

"We must drive a steak through her heart, and then sever her head from her body." Demens gravely said.

"You can't be serious!" Wade protested.

"There is no other way, Wade. If we do not do this, she will continue to feed off the blood of the living for all eternity. She is no longer human, and must be given peace." Demens said.

"I-I can't. I mean – killing cows and coyotes on the range is one thing. But," Brick said as he saw Monique's sleeping form.

He knew she was a vampire now. He had seen the proof for himself. But to him, it was still the woman he was willing to spend the rest of his life with. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Wade didn't have the stomach for it either. His duty was to save lives, and not take them. Despite what he was seeing, he couldn't bring himself to do something so horrific. This was insanity!

"I'm sorry, Professor. But I don't,"

"I'll do it." Dustin said, interrupting Wade. The others glanced at him for a moment before he finally looked up at them, his eyes red from crying as his cheeks were wet from his tears. "I'll do it. It was my hand that loved her. And i-it should my h-hand . . . my hand to free her." Dustin said.

Demens approached Dustin and placed the steak in his left hand, and the hammer in his right. Demens knew this had to be hard on all of them right now. Even though he was doing his best not to show it, but it was hard on Demens as well. He had gotten to know the young woman, and was still punishing himself for not being able to save her life. This wasn't going to be a pleasant experience for any of them. It never is. Demens was never sure what kept him going through an even like this, but he kept trying to tell himself that it was something that had to be done. With a steady breath, he helped guide Dustin toward the open tomb in front of them. They soon found themselves standing over Monique's sleeping form as she lay in her open coffin. As she slept, you couldn't tell that she was a vampire. It still seemed like she had only passed away moments ago, and not in the gruesome way she had almost weeks earlier. Demens could hear Dustin's breathing shake as he looked at the woman that would have been his bride and knew he had to help the young man have courage to go through this.

"Be steady, Dustin. Only a moment's courage is required, and then she will be at peace for all eternity." Demens told him. Dustin merley nodded his head as Demens took his place at the other side of the crypt and readied his blade. "Do exactly as I say, Dustin. Place the point of the steak over her heart." Demens said, and watched as the young man did as he was instructed. "After I say the prayer, strike the steak as hard as you can to drive it into her chest. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Dustin said as he took several deep breaths to steady himself. Dustin's grip on both the steak and the hammer tightened as Brick and Wade turned away from the scene before them.

"We come here to beg the grace of God to free our beloved friend, Monique, from the darkness she has been placed in. May your light of forgiveness guide this poor angel home. In the name of the Father,"

With a shout of rage, Dustin struck the steak as hard as he could and heard a sickening crack as it broke through Monique's rib cage. With a scream of pain, the young vampire opened her blood red eyes in terror as blood began to spurt from her wound and landed in the face of her fiancé.

"The Son,"

Again, Dustin struck the steak and plunged it deeper into Monique's chest. The scream that escaped Monique's lips was even louder than before, full of agonizing pain that no one should ever have to feel. More blood erupted from her wound, splashing not only Dustin in the face, but Demens as well.

"And the Holy Ghost!"

With one last strike, using every once of courage and strength within him, Dustin struck the steak once more as hard as he could. As the large piece of wood sank deeper, everyone could hear the sickening echo as it pierce through her back, splintered her coffin, and struck the marble slab of her tomb. The scream that erupted from the beauty within the coffin seemed to almost shake the walls of the entire crypt. Brick and Wade had to cover their ears out of fear that they would go deaf. Blood erupted once more, coating Dustin and Demens's face and clothes in blood before Demens raised his Kukri knife high and brought it down on Monique's neck with a wet hacking noise. Now there was only one noise that seemed to be more difficult for all four men to tolerate at that moment. A sound that almost un-nerved every single one of them, but was always common in a crypt.

The sound of silence.


	8. The Hunt Builds

**Carfax Asylum**

Kimberly's face was frozen in a pure state of shock as her brain tried to grasp what she had been told. What the Professor and the others had just told her simply was too ghastly, horrific, and too absurd to ever be real. Monique, her best friend since childhood, was the victim of a vampire? Impossible! This all had to be some kind of sick and twisted joke. This was the nineteenth century, for heaven's sake! People simply didn't believe in such superstitious creatures anymore! While Anne awaited the protests that were soon to follow, she noticed Ronald was still quite. In fact, his face was pale. Like all color had been drained from it. There was also something in his eyes as his breathing became heavy and quickened. Fear. You could tell from his eyes alone that the young man was terrified about something. But the question was, what was he scared of?

"This is wrong." Kimberly said as she stood to her feet and looked out of the office window and out onto the countryside outside. "All of you are educated men. And when I return from abroad, all of you are telling me that my friend was the victim of a monster that people created in order to frighten their children into behaving?"

"I know it doesn't sound rational." Professor Demens said.

"Rational? Good God, man; you sound ludicrous!" Kimberly said. "What you tell me just simply isn't possible!"

"It is real, Mrs. Stoppable." Dustin said after finishing a tumbler full of whiskey. "I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. God save me, but it's real." Dustin said as he closed his eyes and tried to wipe the gathering sweat away from his forehead. As he did so, Kimberly noticed that his hands were stained brown. Like something had spilled over them.

"What's wrong with your hands?" Kimberly asked him.

Dustin was a little confused at her question at first. When he looked down at his hands and saw the state they were in, Dustin's posture began to waver. Within moments, he bolted into the built in bathroom of the office and slammed the door closed. Despite the door being shut, everyone could hear him as he vomited up what little food was still left inside his stomach.

"I'm afraid the news grows worse, Kimberly." Wade said as he tried to take a deep breath.

"Monique is dead. How much worse can that be?" Kimberly asked them.

"It's worse because she was transformed into what we hunt for." Demens said.

"I beg your parden?" Kimberly asked him.

"Kimberly, that monster also turned her into a vampire. Monique was the one the papers were calling the Blufer Lady." Wade said.

"You're all mad. All of you." Kimberly said.

"Kimberly," Anne began.

"Don't, mother! Not now! I refuse to believe any of this. There's not one thing you can do to convince me otherwise. Vampires do not exist!" Kimberly stated.

"Y-yes, they do." Ronald said. His voice was low, but they all had heard them. Including Dustin as he exited the bathroom.

"Ronald?" Anne asked him.

"T-they . . . they do exist." Ronald said again.

"Ron,"

"KP, please believe me. T-they do exist. They are real." Ron said as he looked at her. The look of terror within Ron's eyes was so tense that it actually made Kimberly flinch slightly when she looked at him.

"What do you know of them, Mr. Stoppable?" Demens asked as he took a seat in front of him.

"I – I didn't want to speak of it. I wasn't sure what was real and - and what wasn't in that place. All of it just seems like some kind of . . . twisted nightmare." Ronald said.

"Take your time and relax, Mr. Stoppable. Everything is all right. Just take a deep breath and start from the beginning." Professor Demens said.

"She was buying land all over London. A Countess in Transylvania. The man that was handling her purchases went crazy. He went completely mad before the deals were finalized, so I was sent as his replacement. She kept me there and she wouldn't let me leave. I was a prisoner in her castle. And when I found out the truth about her, about what she was," Ronald stopped for a moment as he tried to fight back the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"You don't have to continue. You can stop if,"

"No. I'm fine." Ronald said as he tried to control himself.

"You said you found out the truth about her." Demens said.

"Yes. There had been paintings of what I thought was an ancestor. But I found out that they were of her! She's been alive since the crusades. I remember her telling me of her family when I first arrived. After I found out the truth about her, she left me to be food for those – those vipers! Those monsters she calls her servants!" Ron said as his fear and breathing intensified. "Sh-she's here."

"What?" Anne asked him.

"She's here, in London! I saw her outside the train station. I thought I was seeing things, but it was her. My God, it was the woman herself! B-but she . . . she had changed. She had grown young!"

"Ronald, why didn't you tell me?" Kimberly asked.

"I didn't remember. I – didn't want to remember!" Ron said as his memory began to come flooding back to him. Everything that he had seen and what had happened to him inside the castle. "My God, I can still feel their teeth sinking into my flesh. Every time I began to grow stronger, they would feed off of me like leeches!" Ronald said.

"Do you remember what her name was? Anything at all?" Demens asked him. If Ronald could remember any little detail, then they would have a way to find the monster and kill it before it fed off of anyone else.

"I – I'm not sure. So much of it is still foggy." Ron said as he closed his eyes shut and did his best to remember anything he could about the Countess. "Her name – I can't remember it. But it began with a – a D! Something to do with her family crest. Her crest! Her family crest was a Dragon!" Ronald said to them.

"A dragon?" Demens asked himself as he sat back in deep thought.

"Professor?" Wade asked him.

"I'm trying to think. I only know of one family in Transylvania that has a Dragon crest. But as I far as I know, the bloodline is dead." Demens said as he shook his head. "Without a name, we won't be able to find what properties she purchased."

"Yes, we can." Ronald said. "I don't remember all of the properties, but I do remember one. It struck me as odd because one purchase was in White Chapel. Not too far from one of the Jack the Ripper murders. Not too far from a building that had to do – had to do something with a wasp."

"I think I know which one he's talking about. The Wasp Nest Pub, my cousin frequented that place often before the Ripper murders happened." Dustin Vaughn said.

"Very good. For now, we should all get some rest. At dawn, we'll proceed to White Chapel. Thank you, Mr. Stoppable. You have been of great assistance to us." Demens said as he began to leave, but signaled Wade to follow him.

"Why wait until morning?" Wade asked Demens.

"Two reasons. One, the vampire will be weaker in the day. If we have to confront her, we'll need all the advantages we can get."

"What's the other reason you mentioned?"

"Mr. Stoppable mentioned the man before him. One who went to see this Countess and returned insane. And where do those who have lost their faculties go?"

It took Wade a moment to think about what he had just learned before his brain came to a shocking realization. "Dear God, I think who it is. He's been here all this time and I never knew it. Drew Lipski!"

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, sir?" the attendant asked Wade.

"I'm sure. How has he been?"

"He's been quite for the past several days. The way he sits there and looks out the window. It's almost like he's sulking or something." The attendant said.

"Have you had problems with him, Wade" Demens asked.

"Several weeks ago, he killed an attendant with a straight jacket. Ever since then, he's been ranting more than usual about a master. His fits were so bad that we've had to turn the hose on him before we could sedate him." Wade said.

"Then let's go have our chat with him." Demens said as the attendant unlocked the cell door and opened it.

Slowly, both doctors entered the cell as Lipski continued to look out his cell window without even turning his head to look at them. It wasn't until they were a few inches from his bed before Lipski finally acknowledged their presence.

"You're still wearing that awful aftershave, Dr. Load. I could smell it even before you came to my door." Lipski said without even looking away from the window.

"Lipski,"

"I heard about your friend. Is she the one that gave you the aftershave? Is that why you wear it?" Drew asked. As Drew turned his head, Wade gasped slightly as he saw the scratch marks that ran down both sides of his face. "It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? Loosing something that you want? Something that you know that you never get to have."

"Lipski, your face!" Wade said.

"I was frustrated, and did this when I threw a tantrum." Lipski said as he turned back to the window. "I beg of you, Doctor. As a sane man trying to save his immortal soul from damnation, I beg of you to help me." Lipski said.

"Why do you need help?" Demens asked.

"Because what I'm about to do will most likely mean my death." Lipski said. "I'm about to help you hunt down my Master." He said.

"Why would you help us?" Demens asked the lunatic, taking a few steps forward to gain a better look at him. Lipski turned to get a better look at his second guest before answering.

"Have you ever been promised something, my dear doctors? Made to feel as you were very important? And promised something so rich, and so grand, that it made you feel as young as the world was when it was new? A gift you thought that could come from someone you thought – you thought truly cared – about you?" Lipski asked as a tear began to fall down his wounded cheek.

"Your master?" Wade asked him.

"My master." Lipski said with his voice filled with both pain, and anger. "My master had a duty for me. A mission that was vital to complete. In return, if I finished, she promised me something grand. Something – something wonderful."

"What was that?" Demens asked.

"Eternal life." He said as his face turned to a look of pure anguish. "Can you imagine it, sirs? To never be sick again? To never fear death? To sleep, knowing that you would be alive to see the dawning of a new day? To see what wonders would await you and mankind in the future? A chance to see what machines would be built by our hands, or even to see the stars up close?" Lipski asked as more tears fell and his anguished look only worsened. "_I_ was promised this. She even gave me a taste of what it would be like. Of what would await me." He said as his face hardened as his rage begun to boil and take over him. "SHE PROMISED ME! I DID EVERYTHING THAT BITCH WANTED ME TO DO, AND I WAS GIVEN NOTHING IN RETURN FOR MY EFFORTS! SHE'S NOTHING MORE THAN WANTON SAILOR IN A CAPE!" he screamed as he leapt to his feet and ran to the window. "WHAT ABOUT US? WHAT ABOUT THOSE BORN NOT BEAUTIFUL? THOSE WHO DO AS YOU COMMAND, AND YOU SPIT ON US INSTEAD?"

"Lipski, calm down!" Wade shouted to him.

"Don't you understand? I was played for a fool! She used me to satisfy her needs, and threw me away to the ungrateful masses like a common piece of rubbish! The veil may have been over my eyes before hand, but not anymore!" Lipski said.

"How can you help us, Mr. Lipski?" Demens asked him politely.

"I know Mr. Stoppable has returned. She was not happy about that at all. Her hand maidens were supposed to keep him busy, and they failed. Even from here, I can feel her anger when ever she's upset. It will be focused on me now, but I no longer care. Now that she's found another that suits her fancy, she's turned her back on me. Well, and eye for an eye I say. What do you need of me?" Lipski asked as he stepped off the bed, and tried to straighten his hair and clothes.

"The locations she has purchased in London. Do you still know them?" Demens asked him.

"Of course, my dear man. My memory is as sharp as ever. It's one of the reasons I was thrust up the cooperate ladder at the law firm. I can give you the name and location of every single one of them." Lipski said with a proper smile.

"Attendant! Fetch me some paper and a pen at once!" Wade shouted.

"At once, sir!" the man said as he dashed away.

"I need to know one more thing, Mr. Lipski. What do you mean you were given a taste?" Wade asked him.

"I'm sure you know what my master is by now."

"We do."

"Then I will tell you this. She needed to feed, she was desperate. I could see it in her eyes at the time. Before I knew it, her lips were at my neck and my body was crumpled to the floor. But she healed me. With her blood."

"I thought you said if one drank her blood, they would be as she is." Wade said to Demens.

"If she drains them to the point of death, yes. But if they still have a strong heart beat, and enough blood in their body; then her blood will heal wounds almost as fast as the wind itself." Lipski said to them.

"Sir, I have what you wanted." The attendant panted as he returned with pen and paper.

"Thank you, good man. Expect to see a raise in your salary." Wade said delightfully.

"Thank you, sir!" the attendant said.

"Lipski, what was your master's name?" Demens asked him.

"It was Dracula. Countess Dracula." Lipski said.

"It can't be." Demens said to himself.

"Professor?"

"Take the names you need. I'll be back shortly." Demens said as he left the cell and back to the room he had been using inside the asylum. Once in his room, he looked through the stacks of book he had brought with him until he found the one he wanted. Turning the pages as quickly as he could, he stopped when he reached a picture of an ancient dictator. The picture was that of a man with a slightly large nose, long hair, and a thick mustache. The name printed beneath it read "Vlad III; Prince of Wallachia. Also known as Vlad Dracul"

"It isn't possible, is it?" Demens asked himself.

Ever since he had discovered the existence of vampires, he had heard ancient rumors about the Son of the Dragon becoming a vampire. But never in all his years did he ever hear about Dracula possibly being a woman. Was that even possible? Could a vampire be able to deceive history in such a way, and for so long?

* * *

**Whitechapel, the following morning**

The doors to the old warehouse opened slowly as rusted metal and wood were once more forced to work side by side. As light from the morning sun illuminated the dust and cob-web covered interior of the vacant building, several large wooden crates sat before the gentlemen that stood in the doorway. Each of them removed their hats as they stepped in and were immediately assaulted by the stench of decay.

"What is that smell?" Dustin asked.

"Smells like something died and was left out in the sun." Brick said as he covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his large coat.

"I know it too well. It's what that damned castle smelled like." Ronald said, un-phased by the stench inside the warehouse.

"It's the smell of death. That means the vampire has been here recently. In fact, she may still be here. Open as many boxes as you can and pour the kerosene over them. Once I'm done sanctifying them, we shall burn them." Demens said as he opened his large leather bag and removed a large crucifix and a bottle of holy water.

* * *

She was no longer human. She had not been human for several hundred years now. But like many creatures on this Earth, she needed to sleep. And like other creatures, she would dream. Her mind was flooded of images of her kingdom, before it had fallen to ruin. When it was still green, and before she had begun feasting off of the blood of others in order to survive. And there, standing in her castle when it was still a thing of beauty was her beloved Elizabeta. She could see her standing on a balcony as she gazed out at the land around them. As Elizabeta began to turn and face her, her form melted away to reveal of that of Kimberly Anne. As she began to walk closer to the woman that she loved, the vision was becoming blurred. Colomns of smoke began swirling everywhere, hiding Kimberly from her sight. She tried to run toward her as fast as she could, desperate not to loose her. But as soon as she stepped to where Kimberly had been standing, she found herself trapped inside a raging inferno. She could feel the heat all around her and the flames licking her skin. Her skin was burning and blistering as soon as the flames came close to her. And before she could find a way to escape, the fires consumed her!

She bolted her eyes open, and immediately began to cough and wheeze from the smoke that was inside the crate with her! What was happening? She threw the top of the crate off and sat up to find that the entire warehouse was aflame! Everywhere she looked, pillars of fire were eating away the walls and ceiling of the warehouse. She could also see that several crates had been torn open with piles of dirt spilling onto the floor. And in one of them, she saw a large crucifix had been placed in the top. Vampire hunters! She had to deal with the pests more than once in her homeland, and now they had found her here in England!

Part of the roof gave way and collapsed, missing her by a mere fraction of an inch! She had no time to see if she could fins some clothes to cover herself. She had to escape the blaze as fast as she could. She leapt from the box of soil and clung to one of the giant iron rafters that held what was left of the ceiling in place. All around the warehouse there was nothing but walls of flame. There had to be a way for her to escape from here! As she scanned the entire structure, she noticed that her only way out was a window on the other side of the warehouse. It was up high and close, which meant she could just use the rafter she clung to as a bridge. But her problems were mounting. The flames were starting to grow higher, and the metal of the rafter was heating more quickly than she thought. Even now, she was beginning to feel pain in her palms and on the portions of her legs that held on tightly. She didn't have any other choice. If she didn't get out of here soon, she would be nothing more than a pile of ash.

As fast as she could, she began to make her way across the warehouse as she felt the massive heat from the inferno below her bombard her back. She could feel her skin begin to blister and burn as flames began to lick her bare backside. The smell of burnt hair assaulted her knows as small flickers from the flame reached up and burned away portions of her long black hair. She was more than half way as tears of blood began to form and fall. The heat of the rafter had grown so hot that she could now smell her skin burning and beginning to cook as she kept moving one hand in front of the other. Her calves and thighs where she gripped the iron were burning away as well. She knew that she skin was most likely gone and was probably leaving a trail of blood in her wake. The smoke was filling her lungs and causing them to burn. Each cough that erupted from her throat threatened to make her loose her grip and tumble into the flames.

Finally, she could see the window. She wasn't as close as she wanted to be. If she leapt now, there was still a strong chance she would miss it. Or she might hit the wall and seal her fate. She didn't have any choice now. The heated rafter was becoming too much for her to bare. She did her best to ignore the pain as she planted her feet firmly against the under side and pushed toward her objective! The smell of fresh air and the bright morning sun assaulted her. The sunlight blinded her as the sudden intake of fresh air disoriented her. She collided into the wall of the neighboring building and found herself landing in a pile of garbage. Immediately, she began coughing violently as her body tried to expel all the smoke that was still in her lungs. Bracing herself against the wall, she was able to force herself to sit up as she tried to stop her coughing and breath in as much fresh air as possible.

"Is anyone down here?" someone called out. She knew she should hide, but she was too weak to move. Even if she could move, there was no place for her to hide. She was cornered. "Good God! W-we're you in there?" a constable asked as he rushed to Shego's nude form and examined her wounds. "Dear Lord! Those burns are – I need to get you to a doctor at once!" the constable said as he saw the charred flesh of her hands and her legs.

Gathering her strength, Shego grasped the constable firmly around the mouth to silence him before jerking him downward and viscously sinking her teeth into his aorta. The blood quickly gushed to her mouth and she greedily swallowed as fast as she could. Every few seconds, her mouth was filled with warm blood faster than she could take. She could feel it dribbling down her mouth and chin and dripping down to her breasts as she took more and more of the precious fluid. The gushing was starting to lessen and slow before the constable feel limp and lifeless to the ground. She took a deep breath as she lifted her blood soaked mouth off of the constable's neck and watched as the flesh on her legs and hands began to heal in matter of moments. They were still burned, but not as badly. She would need to find some more blood before she could heal completely. But she couldn't stay here. She was nude, covered in blood, and others would be coming soon. She would have to travel along the alleys and the rooftops, but she couldn't stay here. She had to get to one of her other safe houses and quickly!

As she left the blazing warehouse, her mind began to wonder. No one knew of her hiding places, not even her handmaidens back in Transylvania. No, she was mistaken. There were two that she knew of. There was Stoppable, but she made sure she wiped those memories from his mind. If he remembered a few details about the area, a smart man might figure out where one or two locations may be. But there was one other person who knew where she was hiding. One who had sworn loyalty to her, and her alone. And if that person had betrayed her, nothing would save that person from her wrath. Drew Lipski.

* * *

**Carfax Asylum**

As Kim stepped out of the bathroom, wearing her nightgown, she noticed a very weary Ronal sitting on the edge of the bed with his head pressed against the cold window pane. So much of him had changed that he was almost unrecognizable at times. And why was he so cold to her every now and then? Almost each time she would touch him, he would flinch away from her. Was what happened to him at the Countess' castle so horrible that he trusted no one anymore? Or did he – did he know about her unfaithfulness with her foreign friend? While Ron had his worries, Kimberly had her own as well. At night, she would dream of her dark haired friend. Every night, as she slept, it was as if every carnal desire she had for the strange woman would awaken in her dreams and arouse every nerve and sensation in her body until she could almost swear that it was real. Wait, what was she talking about? She was married to Ronald! She loved Ronald! And it was just a dream! And how could Ron know about her affair? The only other person who knew was Monique. And from what she understood, if she was to believe that the events inside her crypt really happened, it would appear she kept her secret even in death.

"Ronald?" she asked her husband, but gained no response. "Ronald?"

"Huh? Oh. I'm sorry, KP." He said as he finally turned towards her. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Did you find everything today?" she asked him.

"Every location Lipski told us had crates filled with dirt. And every single one of them had her seal painted on them." Ronald said as he shivered, recalling the Countess' family crest. "After the Professor blessed them, we burned the building to the ground."

"How did the police let you get away with that?"

"Wade and the Professor. They told them they several cases of sick people at each location and we were trying to prevent a plague. I guess, in some sick and twisted sense, they're right." Ronald said before looking out the window. Despite trying to act like his normal self, Kimberly could clearly see through the window's reflection that something was still weighing heavily on his mind.

"Ronald, what's wrong? You destroyed her hiding places, so she's beaten. We've won." Kimberly said to him.

"I wish I could believe that, KP. I really do. But something in my gut is telling me that we've missed something."

"Missed something?"

"I wish my mind wasn't so jumbled like it is. But something is telling me – no, I'm sure that there is still one place left. One place that Lipski didn't know about and that the Countess was making sure I forgot. But what?" Ronald demanded himself as he stood to his feet and slammed both fists in frustration.

Kimberly felt horrible for Ronald right now. Guilt over what she had done while he was away kept gnawing at her, and it was made even worse by the fact he was doing his best to protect her from this monster he had been victim to. She just wished she could find some way to help ease his pain. As her mind wrestled with her thoughts and feelings, she glanced out the window and saw the old Abbey not too far in the distance. It had been abandoned for so many years and was barley recognizable anymore.

"Lofty timbers, the walls around are bare. Echoing to our laughter, as if the dead were there." Kimberly said.

"What?" Ronald asked.

"It's an old toast. Every time I look at Carfax Abbey, I always think about it." Kimberly said.

"Carfax – Abbey?" Ronald asked as he turned and looked out the window once more. As he looked at the dilapidated old building, his eyes slowly began to widen. As if the fog that had covered his memory was slowly beginning to lift to reveal what he had forgotten. "PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR DEMENS!" Ronald screamed as loud as he can, frightening his wife as he did so. Within moments, Professor Demens and Dr. Load rushed into the room as both tried to catch their breath.

"What's wrong, Stoppable?" Demens asked the young man.

"She's here! She's been here the whole time!" Ronald shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Wade asked him.

"There was one more property she purchased! One she tried to keep hidden. And it's been right in front of your own doorstep, Dr. Load!" Ronald said to them.

"In front of my – what are you going on about – Ron – oh my God." Wade said as he looked outside the window and saw Carfax Abbey. But what caught his attention was the fact that there was light coming from a window in the old building once more. "She's in Abbey! Professor,"

"I know. Wade, alert Mr. Flagg and Mr. Vaughn at once and tell them to meet us outside the Abbey!" Professor Demens said as both he, Wade, and Ronald exited the room at once to prepare themselves. As they left, Kimberly looked back at the abandoned Abbey once more in pure fear. Not knowing what to say or do at that moment, she quickly extinguished the lamp light and quickly crawled into bed. At that moment, she felt just like she had when she was a child and still afraid of the dark.

* * *

The shirt and dark emerald green jacket sat loosely around her form as she finished slipping on a pair of black pants and shoes to go with it. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry in all the years she had been alive. Every single location she had set up for her to hide in had been destroyed! Just about every single box and crate of earth from her homeland had been destroyed. Now the only place left to hide was in this cold and drafty building! If anything happened to this location, she would have to return to Transylvania. Thankfully she had emergency crates at the docks in just in case of such an emergency. But right now, her mind was focused solely on revenge. Lipski.

Lipski was the only one who truly knew those locations. And that meant the little bastard had betrayed her. That little whimpering coward would rue the day he ever heard her name or saw her face. She should have drained the little prick dry as soon as he had stepped into her castle. As she finished tying the shoes on her feet, she heard the large oak and metal doors begin to open. As soon as they had, the smell of fresh blood filled the room and into her nostrils. Four of them, and one of them was familiar. Acting quickly, she ducked into the shadows and quickly scaled the wall to see what was happening. Her eyes widened when she saw that one of the four was none other than Stoppable himself! A small growl escaped her throat as her eyes turned red with rage. As they fanned out into the large room, she recognized the others. Three of them were Monique's suitors, she recognized their scents. The older man with them, she didn't recognize.

Her blood boiled and her anger rose even higher than before as she watched them break open the crates of earth and the older man begin to bless them. They were the ones that destroyed her hiding places, the bastards! But she knew their scents, and now knew their faces. After she was done with Lipski, she would tear each of their throats out and drink the blood that gushed from their veins like it was water from the fountain of youth. But for now, she had to deal with the traitor inside the asylum. And who knows? Maybe she would also need a late night snack while she was there.

* * *

**Carfax Asylum**

Lipski was in the corner of his cell while sitting cross legged on his bed. It had been a long time since he had eaten normal food that didn't have to do with insects or some creature that was smaller than him. The taste of food that wasn't crawling, wiggling, and fully cooked was like heaven to him. He savored every single bite, even as it slid down his throat and into his stomach. And even though he had only water to wash it down with, he could swear it tasted like the best meal he had eaten in a long time. As he sat back with a full stomach, it almost felt like some sort of chain or weight had been lifted from him. Like he was once again reclaiming his mind as his own. Let the evil vampire bitch burn for what she did to him. He was reclaiming his life once more.

"Who are you?" he heard an orderly call out. "You can't come in here! Did you hear what I said, or are you deaf? Now get out of here! Leave, or I swear I'll crack your,"

Lipski felt the fear in his heart grow when he heard the Orderly cut off. His fear only worsened as he heard the man began to choke, like he had something caught in his throat. Slowly, Lipski rose to his feet and walked to the cell door. He cautiously looked out side the small barred window in the door, and saw the Orderly smash into his door with the back of his head hitting the metal door with a sickening crunch. Lipski quickly leapt back to his bed and cowered in the corner as he saw a pool of deep crimson blood begin to come into his cell from underneath his cell door. For agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence. Only silence. Even all the other inmates had gone quiet, which never happened in this place. Why would they all stop their ranting and screaming? Lipski's question was soon answered when he heard something on the other side of the door grasp the handle and try to turn it. He thanked God that the door was locked as the person tried to turn it several times, but found that it wouldn't move.

Lipski's eyes widened as the handle was jerked, and hear the locks in the cell door shatter from the sheer force that was used. As if to make his torment linger, the door to his cell slowly opened wide to reveal who it was that had killed the Orderly and was now coming for him. The person, with eyes blood red, was none other than the Countess herself.

"Master!" Lipski whispered.

"You sniveling, little worm." She growled as she glared at him. "You betrayed me."

"I – I"

"You told them where I was hiding! They destroyed everything! THEY'RE BURNING EVERYTHING AS WE SPEAK!" Shego roared as she stepped into the cell and through the puddle of blood like it were only water.

"F-forgive. Forgive m-me, Master." Lipski whimpered.

"Forgive you? After all of this?" she growled as she leaned in close to the whimpering man, their noses only touching. "Why should I forgive you?"

"S-she's here!"

"Who?"

"The girl! The woman you desire! K-Kimberly Anne."

"If you are lying,"

"I'M NOT! SHE'S IN DR. LOAD'S PRIVATE ROOM! IT'S NEXT TO HIS OFFICE!" Lipski screamed in terror.

Shego stood straight for a moment and lifted her head high into the air. She took several deep breaths through her nose before her eyes bolted open and she looked outside his cell.

"Thank you, Lipski." She said as she turned to face him.

"Y-you f-f-forgive me?" he whimpered.

"In order to do that," she began before Lipski heard the sound of something breaking and of wet meat. That's when the pain flooded through his chest and throughout him. Pain so unbearable and burning that he couldn't even scream as tears flooded down his face. Then pain grew even worse as he heard the sound of wet meat again, and saw what the Countess was holding in her blood covered hand. "I would need a heart."

Lipski looked down and saw the bloody gaping hole in his chest before Shego dropped his still beating heart to the floor. As he felt his body begin to grow cold, Shego stomped on the heart with her heel before turning it as she glared at Lipski. As her former servant began to lifelessly slump in his bed, she turned and began to walk toward the room that housed her lover. And Heaven help those that stood in her way.

* * *

All four men stood and watched as the flames inside the old abbey began to rise as they consumed the old, dry, and brittle wood that was inside. Smoke was pouring out of the windows as the fires grew inside and washed over everything near it in a wave of heat. While Mr. Dustin Vaughn looked at the burning building with a feeling of satisfaction, Ronald couldn't help but feel worried. He wondered if the Countess had been in one of the buildings they had burned, or was she free? If she were still alive, what kind of retribution would she seek? He reached inside his pocket and clutched a necklace that Kimberly had given him. A new necklace that held a silver Star of David. He had lost the old one at the castle, and Kimberly had bought him this new one as a wedding gift. He just prayed to Jehovah to keep his wife safe from any evil intention that blood sucking bitch had in mind for any of them. Ronald knew that from the ashes of this is born revenge.

"WADE!" a shrill voice called out, causing all of them to turn. All of them were surprised to see Dr. Anne Possible herself, the hem of her dress and shoes were caked in dirt and grass as she ran up to them and tried to catch her breath.

"Anne, what's wrong?" the young doctor asked his friend.

"You – you have to come back at – at once!" Anne said as she tried to regain her normal breathing.

"What has happened?" Professor Demens asked.

"I-it's Lipski. H-he's dead!"

"Dead? How?" Ronald asked.

"He – he – he was," Anne tried to say, but became pale and had to do her best from vomiting where she stood. "He was murdered. You have to come back!"

As all of them grasped what they had been told, only one thing quickly entered Ronald's mind as he looked up a the Asylum while his heart overflowed with fear and dread.

"KP!"

* * *

As she entered the room as silently as a wraith, she looked across the room at the woman that was sleeping in the bed. She was so entranced by the young woman's beauty, she soon found herself by the bedside without even realizing she had even moved. A small smile crept onto Shego's lips as she saw the beautiful a frail woman moan as she tossed in her sleep, a few strands of hair covering her face as she did so. She reached down to brush the hair out of the woman's face when she saw the blood covering her hand. Normally, she wouldn't care or mind. But this beauty before her didn't need to know of what she had done. Of what she was. Turning quickly, she found the bathroom and began to wash the blood off as quietly as she could. When she returned to the bedroom, she found that the sleeping beauty was beginning to stir and awaken.

When Kimberly opened her eyes and allowed them to focus, she saw the smiling face of her friend above her. A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she rubbed her eyes. "I'm dreaming of you again." She said.

"No, Madame Kimberly." Shego said as she took a warm hand into her own and lightly squeezed it. "I am really here." She whispered as she leaned down and kissed Kimberly's forehead and inhaled the smell of of her scent.

"Y-you're really here?" Kimberly asked as her heart began flutter.

As Shego shook her head yes, she didn't know what to do. She had wanted to see her friend again for so long, had dreamt about, had wanted to speak to her. Now she was here and her mind was a total blank. Not knowing what to do, she let her own instinct take over her mind an body. Within moments, her arms were wrapped tightly around the pale woman's neck as she locked her lips with her foreign lover's in desperate passion. The taste of the woman's lips, the feel of their skin pressing against each other drove Kimberly mad with passion and lust. She knew, deep down inside her heart, she knew that this was what she wanted to be all along. She loved Ronald deeply, but her heart yearned for Shego more than him.

"I thought I would never see you again." Kim whispered as Shego moved her mouth along Kimberly's jaw and neck. With each kiss, Shego would taste Kimberly's warm skin and nibble her skin to heighten her pleasure. With each gasp of pleasure that came from Kimberly, she increased her efforts.

"I will always come back to you." Shego said as they grasped each other's lips again.

As their breathing deepened, Shego's hands held her Kimberly close to her as she savored every curve and the warmth of her body. Her hand clutched the young redhead by the back at first, but began slowly sliding down her spine. Her hands went lower and lower still until they found the hem of Kimberly's nightgown and began to lift it. Now Shego's hands were grasping the bare flesh of Kimberly's legs and and grasping the firm and ample flesh of her backside. Shego broke their kiss and began kissing and nibbling down her neck and into the valley of Kimberly's breasts as the young woman moaned and begged her to go farther.

"Forgive me." Kimberly breathed. "Forgive me, I should have never left." Kimberly's passion and excitement were growing more and more. It almost seemed like she was loosing every single rational thought in her mind as more and more pleasure began to build within her like a guesser. She opened her eyes as Shego came up for breath once more. They were inches from kissing again until Kimberly's eyes noticed something. On the green jacket her lover was wearing was a large stain of blood.

"You're hurt?" Kimberly asked.

"What?" Shego asked, perplexed by the question.

"There's blood on your jacket and – Oh my God! There's even more on your sleeve!"

"I'm fine, beloved." Shego said to her, trying to calm the young woman down.

"No you're not! No one can loose that much blood and be fi-"

Kimberly stopped when she put her hand on Shego's chest in order to examine her. But when she did, she noticed something. She didn't know why she never noticed before, but something important wasn't there. She felt along Shego's neck, and even grasped the pale woman's wrist and felt along it's length with her finger. Nothing. Her friend, the woman she was in love with, didn't have a heart beat. There wasn't any pulse in the woman's body at all.

"I-I can-can't find your hea-heart beat." Kimberly said as her eyes became fearful. Shego could only close her eyes as she bit her lower lip. Unable to face the beauty in front of her, she turned away. For the first time in so long, she felt ashamed of what she was and what she had done in order to survive. She never wanted to tell this beautiful maiden the truth like this.

"There is no life in my body. There hasn't been for hundreds of years." Shego said.

"What do you – that's impossible!" Kimberly said.

"I am what your men fear and hate. I am the monster that so many have hunted for. I – _I_ am Dracula." Shego admitted.

Kimberly's face was that of complete horrific shock. She didn't know what to do. Everything in her mind had almost short circuited all at once. As she looked at someone she had yearned for and wanted, someone who made her question her feelings for those around her time and time again had been lying to her! And even worse, another grim horror of Shego's admittance sunk into her mind. Her fists balled tightly as she began to pound them against her friend relentlessly as she began to weep.

"YOU MURDERED MONIQUE!" she screamed as Shego merely sat and let Kimberly's anger vent. "YOU MURDERED HER! YOU KILLED HER!" Kimberly said as her tears poured down her cheeks in and endless stream as she wept more and more for her lost friend. "WHY? Why her? Why? How could you?" Kimberly demanded.

Kimberly's grief and anger were taking more and more out of her than she realized and found herself collapsing into Shego's arms again. A moment ago, there was no place she wanted to be. Now, she wanted to be far from them. She tried to push Shego away, but couldn't. The woman was too strong, and a part of her still didn't want to leave this woman's embrace.

"I didn't know. I swear to you, I didn't know. Had I known she was your friend before hand, I would never have touched her!" Shego said as she held her lover close. The words she was speaking were the truth, and she just hoped she could make Kimberly believe her. She wouldn't be able to endure Kimberly hating her otherwise. "Forgive me, please."

"Then why? Why did you make her like you?" Kimberly demanded as she clung to the woman, as if she were going to float away if she didn't.

"I will not lie to you. I wanted revenge. I wanted revenge against your men for taking you from me. To make them feel as – as empty as I have felt for centuries. But, she was your friend. And I had hoped that if she were still alive in one form, that you may able to forgive me. They killed her, not me. I gave her back the life I had taken from her to make amends." Shego said as she sat, holding this young woman in her arms. She had done her best to not cry, but to see her lover in such a state was almost too much her heart could bear. Even now, she could feel the warm tears beginning to build within her eyes.

"Do you hate me?" she asked her.

"I should." Kimberly said softly. She wasn't crying like she had been earlier, and sat herself up while Shego loosened her hug. "I should hate you for what you did to her. But – I still love you. God forgive me, but I do." Kimberly said and looked into Shego's face.

She saw the tears of blood that had started to fall down her pale cheecks. Grasping part of her nightgown, she wiped the tears of blood away and kissed both of the vampire's cheeks softly to make her feel better.

"I have to go." Shego whispered to her love.

"Why?"

"The others have destroyed boxes of earth. I have to sleep in the soil of my homeland, or I will begin to age and loose my strength. Not even all the blood in London will be able to keep my strength from leaving me. I must return to Transylvania." Shego said.

"Then take me with you."

"I can't. The journey is too dangerous. And if I do not feed, I will go mad from starvation and drink from the nearest living creature."

"Then change me." Kimberly whispered.

"No!"

"Please, change me. I want to be with you. And if I have to be a creature like you, then I will be."

"You don't know what you ask of me!" Shego protested. "You will be as hated as I am. Cursed to forever walk in the shadow of death while everyone you know and love will whither away and die! You will be forced to feed off of the living!" Shego said as fresh tears began to fall down her face. "I love you too much to – condemn you to this life."

"_You_ are my love, and my life. I choose to be with you." Kimberly said.

Shego closed her eyes before slowly opening them and revealing that they were now blood red. To her surprise, Kimberly took her hair and pulled it away from her neck as she lowered her gown off of her shoulders. Shego held Kimberly in her arms as she lowered her head down to the nape of Kimberly's neck. She inhaled her sent once more before she opened her mouth, and pierced Kimberly's soft flesh with her fangs. Kimberly moaned from the sting, but then relaxed as Shego began to drink from her. The blood that flowed into her mouth was sweet and potent. It was so much more vibrant and alive than Monique's had ever been. This was blood that many of her kind would slaughter hundred if not thousands to merely taste one drop.

When doing this, she would drain her victim almost to the point of death. But the transformation in that fashion would be too painful as her body would change. To be truthful, it was a horrifying way to become a vampire. Shego drank a few more mouthfuls of Kimberly's precious blood before she forced herself to stop and sit up. As she gasped for air, she quickly wrapped one arm around Kimberly's lower back to keep her from falling backwards. With her free hand, she ripped open the shirt she was wearing and deeply cut herself over her left breast.

"Kimberly, you must take back what I have taken from you. Dink my blood, and you and I will be together for all eternity." She said.

Kim was tired and feeling weak from the loss of blood. But she could hear Shego clearly and knew what she had to do. She wrapped her arms around her undead mistress before leaning down and placing her lips over the freshly opened wound. The taste was bitter at first with a copper taste as she licked the free flowing blood. Soon, the bitter taste went away as she placed her blood stained lips to the wound again and began to drink and suck more blood from her lover. Shego's breathing deepened the more Kim drank from her. Every nerve began to flare to life as if a volcano within her was beginning to erupt. The sensation kept going higher and higher until,

* * *

All of them rushed into the Asylum as fast as their legs could take them. Wade was running ahead of the others, doing his best to get to Lipski's cell. It only took him a moment or two before he saw Lipski's open cell ahead with two Orderly's looking pale and looking like they were fixing to be very ill. Wade rushed to the open door and nearly vomited at what he saw. He quickly turned and walked away from the cell door as fast as he could before he collapsed to his knees and vomited onto the cold ground. The other's arrived to see Wade expelling his evening meal as they glanced inside and blanched at what they saw. The only one of them that seemed unaffected by the ghastly sight was Professor Demens himself.

"I've seen cattle that were tore up by a pack of starving wolves, but that's just," Brick began to say, but couldn't finish his sentence.

"Inhuman." Demens said as he examined Lipski's corpse and mutilated heart that lay in a small puddle of blood. "Wade, did you see this?" Demens asked him.

"I didn't see – much, Professor." Wade said as he tried to regain control of his stomach.

"There's a pool of blood here that does not belong to Lipski. But where's the body?" Demens asked.

"A Body? Sir, Lipski is the only one we found dead." One of the Orderly's said. As he looked to the old Professor, he felt something fall on his cheek. It almost felt like water. He rubbed the liquid away with his hand, only to see red smeared across his palms and fingers. When he saw a red droplet fall to the ground, and felt another fall onto his face again, bot he and the Professor looked up.

"Mein God." Professor Demens said as he crossed himself.

Two bodies, both Orderlies, were hanging from the ceiling by chains in grotesque poses. One had his wrists bound to his ankles, but was bent backwards to such a degree that his back was most likely broken. His chest was split open with the rib cage forced open. His heart, stomach, and lungs hung from his body cavity like ornaments. The other man was mounted with his arms spread wide, his throat torn out by what looked like a wild animal, and the symbol of a large dragon was painted on his chest in blood. The two Orderlies that had found Lipski turned and ran way while everyone looked away as Wade vomited once more, joined by Mr. Vaughn.

"Gather y-your strength." Demens said as he tried to compose himself and looked down at the floor. If he looked at what had become of those two poor men, he would loose his own nerve. As he did, he noticed something else about the large pool of blood. There were bare footprints in it. The foot prints were small, possibly belonging to a lady. And the lead away from Lipski's cell and went off into the direction of Wade's office!

"THE CREATURE IS STILL HERE! FOLLOW ME!" Demens screamed as he took off at break neck speed to reach Wade's office.

All four burst into the office/room to see Kimberly being held by a pale green woman with long dark hair. Her head jerked upward as soon as they burst into the room, and glared at them with blood red eyes as she bared her fangs and growled like a monster wolf protecting her young. She quickly pushed Kim behind her as she readied herself for a fight while Dustin and Vaughn raised their rifles at the vampire's head. Demens stepped forward and raised a silver and gold cross while reciting Latin scriptures from the bible.

"Do you really think your pitiful idols can harm me?" Shego asked, her voice deepened to where every word and sailable itself sounded like a menacing growl.

Shego lunged forward and knocked the crucifix from Demens hand with her forearm as her fingernails raked across his face and tore the skin open. Demens fell to the ground and pressed the sleeve of his coat to his face while Wade tried to help him up. Druring the commotion, Ron quickly grabbed Kimberly from the bed and pulled her away towards the window.

"You're relying on ancient stories and myths, old man." Shego growled.

"In the name of God, you must pay for your crimes! God compels you!" Demens shouted as he stood back on his feet.

"God? I served God and the cross. I commanded thousands of nations under his banner and in his name hundreds of years before any of you were ever born! And as a reward for my devotion, I was betrayed! _THIS_ is what your God has done to me!" Shego screamed.

"But you tortured and impaled thousands of people! Many of them innocent!"

"The world showed no compassion to me, so why should I show compassion to anyone else?" As Shego glared at the gathered group, she saw Stoppable was holding Kimberly to him as tightly as possible. Her blood boiled and anger grew as she snarled at the young man. "She has made her choice, boy! Give her back to me!"

"NO!" Ronald shouted as he raised a pistol. "You took Monique from us! I'll be damned before you ever take my wife!"

"She is _MY_ bride!"

"Burn in hell!" Ron growled as he aimed the pistol.

"NO!" Kimberly screamed as she pushed the pistol away, forcing Ronald to fire.

The bullet grazed the vampire's shoulder, tearing through the jacket and shirt but missing the skin entirely. Brick fired his rifle, sending a bullet through Shego's ribs and causing the creature to double over in pain. With lightning fast speed, Shego grasped the hot steel barrel and shoved the butt of the rifle into Brick's face. The impact of the hard wood against flesh and bone made a sickening crunch as Brick's nose was almost shattered. Dustin tried to raise his rifle again, but the vampire was too fast for the banker. She was upon the man before he could aim and grasped his left hand in a grip that could crush stone. Dustin screamed bloody murder as she applied all her strength to the man's hand, crushing bone and causing it to tear through skin and muscle before she violently twisted it one-hundred and eighty degrees. Dustin screams filled the entire room as he felt the bones in his wrist and arm break from the force applied.

Shego raised her hand to tear out his throat before she felt a knife bury itself into her left shoulder. She glanced as the blade was pulled out and saw that the Texan was on his feet again and had drawn his Bowie knife. Letting the banker's arm go, she spun around and landed a solid punch under the Texan's jaw that sent him tumbling head first into the wall behind him. She was outnumbered and injured. She had no choice but to flee, but that would mean leaving Kimberly behind. She gazed at the young redhead, pleading her to come with her with her eyes. Kimberly silently mouthed the words "go" to the vampire, as if she could read the creature's mind. Glancing at Stoppable and growling at him once more, Shego ran toward the only window in the room as fast as she could and leapt through it and into the cold night. Demens rushed to the window to try and find the vampire, but couldn't see her anywhere. She had escaped.

"Dustin, let me look at your hand." Wade said to the banker who was clutching his injured arm to his chest and huddled over, weeping like a new born babe.

Demens joined the young doctor's side as they were able to pry the young man's arm away from his sternum, and both grimaced at what they saw. Demens could make out the fingers easily, but he could barley tell that the rest of the mangled heap had ever once been a fully working hand at all.

"Wade, do you an operating room here?"

"Of course we do. Why do you ask?"

"Prepare it for surgery. I'm afraid I can not save Mr. Vaughn's hand. It will have to be amputated." Demens said as Dustin looked at him in horror.

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I'm afraid not. I am a skilled surgeon, but not enough to repair this damage. The bones have been completely shattered. I'm sorry, but I will have to remove the hand. Wade, get the operating room ready while I escort Mr. Vaughn and prepare him for surgery."

* * *

It was past noon on the following day before Professor Demens and Dr. Anne Possible were able to look at the marks on Kimberly's neck and diagnose her symptoms. She had gained a fever and was feeling chills, so they let her rest as Demens went to talk to the others. Dustin was in one of the infirmary rooms with his left arm in a cast and bandaged at the wrist where they had to remove his damaged hand. Brick was sitting in a chair with his jaw badly bruised and broken. Demens and Anne had to wire it shut in order to set it and let it heal. Ronald and Wade stood in a corner and looked like something death had dragged in. He hadn't slept at all during the night, and was so worried about his beloved wife that he was shaking. The look on Demens' face didn't help matters at all.

"Did she bite her?" Ronald asked the older man.

"Yes, she did. But,"

"What do you mean, 'but?'" Wade asked his mentor.

"The vampire had baptized her with its own blood." Demens said with visibly shook Ronald to his very core.

"Will she become – l-like the Countess?" Ronald asked.

"I don't know. She didn't drain her like she did with Monique. There's a chance that her immune system might be strong enough to fight off the infection. Or, and I pray to Christ I'm wrong; the virus may take hold of her much more slowly." Demens told them.

All of them felt every single of hope collapse inside of them, like the air being let out of a balloon.

"Then it was all for nothing. Monique's death, Lipski's death, and everyone else that monster has killed. Every thing we've done was all in vain." Wade said to himself.

"No." Ronald said as he looked at all of them. "No. I refuse to believe that we've lost. Professor, there has to be some way to save her. THERE HAS TO BE!" Ronald said.

"There might be one way. But like the vampire said, I'm basing on ancient myth."

"What is it?" Wade asked him.

"Supposedly, if we kill the Countess before Kimberly drinks live blood and the virus completely takes hold of her, she may revert back to her normal self. But I don't know that will work." Demens said.

"That means we have to go Transylvania. We've destroyed her hiding spaces, that means she'll has go home to regain her strength." Ronald said.

"It'll be dangerous, Ronald. We will be walking into the lion's den." Demens said.

"I don't care. I will not have my wife become one of those life sucking vipers of hers!" Ronald said.

"We will need help. I've asked too much of you, gentlemen. If you wish to stay behind, I will understand completely." Demens said to the others.

"I have lost a true love to this monster. And now, I have lost one of my hands to it. If it means killing this thing once and for all, then I'm with you. I've lost too much to this creature already." Dustin said.

"Well, shit." Brick mumbled since it was hard for him to talk with his jaw wired shut. "I've been with all of you this far, so I might as well go the rest of the way. I'm in."

"What about you, Wade?" Ronald asked him. "You have a career and a life here. You don't have to come with us."

"Don't have to?" Wade asked him. "Don't have to? I've lost the woman I loved, and had everything I've ever believed in turned upside down on me. I've also made to good friends along this path, and I will not loose any more. So whether you like it or not, Ronald; I'm coming with you." Wade said firmly.

"Then we make this vow, here and now." Demens said as he stepped forward. "Instead of cowering before this monster, we choose to fight back. We have vowed to rise up from the ashes of our despair, and hunt this wretch to its death! With a bond of trust between us, and a fierce reliance on faith, we pledge ourselves to this cause."

"Amen to that." Brick said.

"Then we should all start making preparations. We are bound for Transylvania. To the lair of the Countess."


	9. Sympathy for the Monster

**The Romanian Port of Varna**

Professor Demens had lost Monique to the curse of the Countess' blood, and he refused to loose Kimberly as well. Demens knew that the Countess had not drained as much of Kimberly's blood as she had with Monique. That meant that there was hope that Kimberly's body could fight off the disease that would change her into one of the undead. Along their journey, to make sure her body had enough strength to do so, each of them gave their own blood to her. They would not let her light be eclipsed by this monsters shadow no matter what. Along their travels across the ancient continent, Demens had noticed an advantage by sheer luck. While Kimberly was asleep, Demens would hear her talking in her sleep. As he listened to her mumblings, he soon found out that she was talking to the Countess. Kimberly and the vampire had formed a mental bonde between each other, and she could see within the vampire's mind! A grand feeling of relief washed over all of them when they found out that the Countess was indeed traveling back to her castle by ship. The train gave them an advantage.

The Countess' ship would have to sail around the Rock of Gibraltar in order to reach Romania. By train, they cut the time in half. And now, here they were waiting for the bitch. With Dustin's wealth and family connections, they had been able to set up a small network of spies. When the ship carrying the ancient vampire arrived, they would be there waiting. And once it was docked, they would burn it into the see. But now the hardest part of all was upon them. The waiting. It seemed the more they had to wait, the more their fears and worries seemed to grow. Even though Brick had been in and seen many fights, he was still human and just as nervous as the rest of them. When ever he became nervous, he would usually find a seat away from the others and sharpen his Bowie knife to it would be ready for a fight. But if he sharpened the blade any more, it would most likely be able to cut through rock or steel.

With Dustin, he mostly sat in thought or would look at a photograph he had of Monique. No matter which he would do, he would eventually look to the hook that replaced the hand he had lost. Everyone could see the anger that would grow in his face as he kept looking at the stump. His once young and rugged features were now beginning to disappear. Dark circles were forming under his eyes from the lack of sleep. He would suffer from chronic nightmares of the night they had to put Monique to rest or their encounter with the Countess. Unable to sleep, Vaughn would turn to the various bottles of liquor that had been in stock. Even now, it looked as if he had aged at least seven years since he had lost his hand. If they lived to survive this, Demens doubted he would be able to live a normal afterward. It actually looked that Dustin may end up as Wade's next patient at the Asylum.

Wade was different. Even now, he was taking notes and writing what appeared to be a journal of guesses, hypothesis, and everything Demens could tell him about vampires. Now that Wade had seen that they do exist and what all these creatures of the night can do, it seemed that Wade had decided to write a scientific novel on the subject. Demens wasn't so sure if that was a good idea or not. The old Professor approved of the idea that people should ever be on the ready in case they encountered one of these fiends. But if their existence was proven to be a fact and no longer myth, there was no telling what the monsters would do in retaliation. Demens would have to think long and hard about this. And have a very long talk with Wade about it.

Demens himself kept trying to keep himself calm and ready for the events ahead. This wasn't the first time he's had to hunt down one of these monsters and extinguish their evil from this world. But those were parts of his life he never liked to discuss. He had lost too many friends and had sacrificed too much to re-live those ghastly moments. His motivations were personal, there was no doubt about that. It was all a part of a vow and a promise he had made years ago that he has kept ever since. But never in his life has he hunted down a vampire as powerful as this one. The fact that this vampire had the knowledge of the ages and experience of battle made her dangerous. But the strength and power were nothing to the cruelty this one showed so easily. In life, Dracula was a very vicious and blood thirsty ruler and one that no one should ever cross. But after the death of Dracula's lover, that's when the real horror stories started to arise. The garden of death and feasting on the blood of the enemies, those were the stories that gave people nightmares. And from what he had seen at the Asylum, it was clear that Dracul did not consider herself human anymore.

As Demens glanced over his shoulder, he saw Ronald sitting by Kimberly. Most of his hair was now gray instead of blonde, but the determination in his eyes was something you had to admire. The love he had for Kimberly was something you only encountered once in a lifetime. And the rest of the time, you only read about it in stories. But despite the determination or amount of love he had, Kimberly did not look well. Day by day, he noticed that Miss Kimberly had been growing paler. Her pulse had also been starting to slow. Demens didn't want to admit it, but he feared he might have been wrong about her body's ability to fight of the vampire's curse. Her breathing was labored, and the fever she had still refused to break. If they did not kill the Countess soon, it may be too late to save Kimberly from the same fate that Monique fell to. Trying to keep his mind occupied, Demens opened his bag and retrieved his stethoscope. Sitting beside Miss Kimberly and placing the cold device against her chest, he felt his heart starting to sink. Her pulse had dropped even more, and her skin was starting to become clammy. They would be lucky if she lasted another week.

"Does she need more blood?" Ron asked, making the others look up from their trances.

"It would be useless at this point." Demens said as he removed the stethoscope and placed it back in his bag.

"Doc, don't tell me that,"

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Flagg." Demens said as he rubbed his forehead. "We were wrong. In a few more days, she will become a vampire." Demens said.

"Then I hope that blood sucking bitch gets here soon. I'll do to her what the Texas army did to Santa Anna's troops at San Jacinto." Flagg said as he stood and sheathed his large knife.

"You might get your chance." Dustin said as he glanced out his compartment window.

"Why do you say that?" Wade asked, closing his journals.

"One of the dock workers I paid off is coming." The Englishman said as he stood from his seat and quickly exited the train. The others watched through the windows as he intercepted the man and began talking to him. As they watched, they saw Vaugn's stance seem to slouch slightly. This reaction did not bode well for any of them. As Vaugn came back into the train car, he walked straight toward the liquor.

"What's happened?" Demens asked him.

"They just received word not too long ago. The Countess' ship changed course."

"What?" Wade asked.

"She's not coming to Varna. She sailed past us in the fog last night. The ship will soon dock at the Northern port in Galatz. We've missed our opportunity to kill the monster." Dustin said as he opened a bottle and didn't bother with fetching a glass. Instead, he held the bottle to his lips and drunk as much as he could stand.

"How did she know we waiting for her?" Wade asked.

"Kimberly." Demens muttered. "The mental bond they share. It must work both ways. She can read the mind of the Countess, but the vampire must also be able to read hers." Demens said.

"Bloody brilliant." Demens said as he drank more liquor from the large glass bottle he held.

"We may still be able to cut her off." Ronald said as he looked to the map they had pinned to a wall of the compartment.

"How do you figure that, Stoppable?" Flagg asked him as they followed him to the map.

"Here's Varna, and here's Galatz. That's about two-hundred miles. If we take the horses and leave now, we may able to cut her off." Ronald said.

"He may be right." Wade said as he looked at the map and made the calculations in his head.

"Then the sooner we leave, the better." Dustin said as he placed the bottle on the counter and walked toward his coat.

"You four ride together, and I'll take Kimberly with me." Demens said.

"What are you talking about? I don't want her anywhere near the demented witch." Ron said to Demens.

"I'm taking her to the castle."

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Ronald demanded, waking Kimberly from her sleep.

"If you fail, that will only leave myself to finish her off. With Kimberly there, she may be distracted long enough for me to succeed."

"So you're going to use her as bait, you old koot?" Flagg asked.

"That's monstrous!" Wade interjected.

"Not for the world will I let you take her there. Not by Heaven or by hell!" Ronald shouted.

"Mr. Stoppable,"

"You don't know what that den of vipers is like! You haven't seen the horrors within its walls!"

"I take her there to save her!" Demens shouted back.

"PLEASE!" Kimberly screamed, making them all turn towards her. "I can feel her. She's listening, even now. Please, don't say anything else. Please, say no more." Kimberly said as she began to weep.

"Mr. Stoppable?" Demens asked him.

"On your head does this lie." Ron said as her and the others grabbed their coats and left the train. The game was afoot.

* * *

**Castle Dracula; late evening**

Once, this land was lush and green. A living paradise of beauty that only an artist or poet would be able to describe. Now, it was barren and dead. The plants that once lived and thrived were now few and far between. The entire land that contained the once grand and mighty Castle Dracula seemed to have changed itself into a tomb to house the remains of the once proud ruler. In front of the massive crumbling structure, away from the massive gates, was a small campfire to keep the two people that were sitting in front of it for warmth. It had taken them a long time, but Professor Demens and Kimberly Anne Possible had made it to Castle Dracula. But it was late and a chill hung over their heads that a blanket alone wouldn't be able to keep away. Demens had brought a few provisions, including a loaded rifle, but he didn't know if Kim's condition would allow her to still eat food or not. But the young woman needed her strength. Not just for her sake, but for all of theirs. Even now, despite having two blankets covering her and sitting directly in front of the fire, he could see her shivering in the cold.

"Kimberly?" Demens asked her, but she still sat shaking in the cold. As he sat across from her, he noticed how she was sitting. Her hands were covering her ears, as if she were blocking out something she didn't like. And what he thought was her shivering was actually Kimberly rocking herself back and forth. "Kimberly, what's wrong?" he asked her.

"We're not alone. I-I can feel it." Kimberly said.

"I know. Ronald had told me of the others here that serve the Countess." Demens said as he tried to button his coat closed.

"They're close." Kimberly whimpered.

"How do you know they are close?" Demens asked cautiously. He was praying that it would still be days before the transformation was complete.

"In my head." She moaned, like a child with its first headache. "Th-they're in my head. They won't leave me alone!" Kimberly wailed.

"What are you talking about?" Demens asked her.

"You have to leave!" a voice said in the dark.

Demens drew his Kukri knife as he spun to face whatever awaited him in the shadows of the castle. To his surprise, what he saw was a young Japanese woman that was draped in a fine white dress with a black cloak tied around her shoulders. But appearances could be deceiving, and he did not dare let down his guard while he was at the accursed place.

"Who are you? I demand that you tell me your name!" Demens said.

"My name is Yori. I've come to warn you that you both are in great danger. It isn't safe here." Yori said to them.

"Your master isn't here yet. I will not allow you to trick us."

"It isn't my master I warn you of. It's the others. They know that both of you are here and,"

Yori was interrupted as Kimberly screamed loudly and fell onto her side, curling into a fetal position as she began to weep like a newborn babe. "MAKE THEM STOP! MAKE THEM STOP!" she kept screaming over and over again. "They keep telling me what they're going to do to Ronald and the others! Please, MAKE THEM STOP!" Kimberly cried.

"They're here!" Yori said as she shoved Demens out of the way and shoved the palm of her hand forward, with a loud echoing smack sounding loud into the night. At Yori's feet was a young, long legged brunette woman that lay sprawled in the snow with blood running down from her nostrils.

"You traitorous whore!" the brunette growled as she stood to her feet, and her eyes were blood red as the fangs in her mouth extended. "You dare strike me?"

"If I could, I would drive a sword through your heart!" Yori said as her eyes changed red and her fangs extended themselves.

"We gave you everything! Eternal life! Eternal youth! And you repay the master with treachery?" the vampire demanded as she was joined by two others.

"YOUR MASTER CONDEMNED ME TO HELL!" Yori screamed at them.

"THEN DIE!" one of the three vixens screamed as she leapt toward Yori with murder in her demonic eyes.

Fangs and claws were inches from tearing away the flesh from Yori's throat before a flaming torch smashed the side of the vampire vixen's face. The succubus fell into the snow as it screamed and clutched its face where the skin was burned away. Demens stood in between the vampires and his new ally as he reached into his long coat and retrieved a silver cross and forced gripped it tightly.

"Grab a piece of the firewood! Create a ring of fire around us!" Demens shouted to his new ally. Without hesitation, Yori did as she was told as Demens began quoting bible verses and prayers and swung his torch at any of the vampire women that dared tried to cross the ring of fire. Each hiss and growl from the blood sucking maidens sounded like an enraged panther that wanted blood for blood. "Be gone! Go back to the pits of hell you came from!" Demens shouted as he kept his cross and torch raised.

"You've only delayed your deaths. We will feast on your blood, old man." The brunette growled.

"Not as long as I draw breath." Yori said.

"We shall see, traitor." The burned vixen said before they faded into the shadows. Then, the silence of the night was shattered by the screams of pain and terror of an animal as it was being slaughtered.

"The horses!"

"They're cutting off your means of escape." Yori said as she closed her eyes. Unlike the Professor's and Kimberly's eyes, she could see in the dark. And she didn't want to see the unspeakable acts of horror and carnage they were performing on the poor animals outside their circle.

"DAMN YOU! I DAMN ALL OF YOU TO HELL!" Demens screamed as the horses cries of agonized pain continued to fill the canyons around castle Dracula and continued into the hours of the night.

* * *

The sun finally rose and spread it's warmth and rays of light over the ancient and crumbling castle and the barren wasteland it sat on. On a far side of the castle, that sat several feet from the dangerous cliffs that overlooked the river below, was the crumbling royal stables. What was once an elegant home for the finest horses that only royalty could own was now the hiding place for Dracula's blood sucking hand maidens. All of them were gathered together in one stall as they lay sleeping, not looking too different than a pack of sleeping wolves. Their faces, hands, and bodies were still covered in the dried blood of the two young horses they had tortured and slowly killed the night before. Demens did not know if they were strong enough to withstand the rays of the morning sun, and he really didn't care at that moment. The others would have their hands full with the Countess alone. If these women tried to interfere, then they had no hope in succeeding. With his Kukri knife in hand, Demens entered the stable.

He approached the sleeping monsters as quietly as he could as he watched them sleep. Each of their chests rose and feel at a steady pace as he approached. Knife firmly held in hand, the first vampire he approached was the young beauty that he had hit in the face with a lit torch. The wound was almost completely healed. Where the burned had healed, not even scar tissue could be seen. Gripping his knife tightly in his hand, he knelt down next to the un-aging beauty and raised the sharp blade high above his head. Taking a steady deep breath, he brought the blade down swift and firmly against the young woman's neck and saw the head separate from the body. Arterial blood spray soon began to coat the stone floor in a widening pool as Demens stood to his feet. He tried to calm himself, praying the others wouldn't hear his accelerated heart rate. He couldn't risk them waking up. As he glanced at the remaining vampires, he could see them begin to stir in their sleep. Taking another deep breath, Demens quickly raised his knife and went about to finish his duty.

* * *

Yori stood outside the stable as she used the large cloak to try and cover herself. Even through the thick fabric, she could feel the glow of the sun burn her skin, like metal that had been resting in the fires of a blacksmith. She didn't know how much longer she could stand being out in the daylight much longer. If she went inside the stables with the Professor, the others would sense her thought and would have most likely awakened to attack. She had heard the knife cutting into flesh and stone several times since the Professor went into the stables, but that didn't mean he was victorious. If the Professor was unsuccessful, then Yori's fate would be sealed once the sun set. And if she died, then that meant the young woman with the Professor would be doomed to the same fate as her.

Yori's head bolted upward when she heard someone emerging from the stables. She readied herself for a fight, not knowing what to expect. When she saw the Professor emerge, a sense of relief washed over her. But she was confused at why he was carrying a large burlap sack with him. That was until he stepped into the rays of the morning sun, and saw that the bottom of the sack was a dark black sherry red as droplets of blood fell onto the ground behind Demens.

"It is done?" she asked.

"It is." Demens said as he threw bag off of the cliffs and down into the river below them. "You didn't have to help us."

"But I did. I considered Stoppable my friend, and so it was my duty to help you." She said to him.

"Stoppable? You helped him escape?"

"I did. And now, I beg of you for a favor." Yori said.

"That would depend on what you are asking of me." Demens said to her.

"Please, give me a quick death."

What the vampire had just asked of him made Demens do a double take. It wasn't the first time he had heard a person asking for death. He had heard the request from those who were severely injured, from those who were sick, and even those who were depressed. But to hear such a request coming from a vampire? Never in his life had he heard such a request from such a creature before.

"You want to die?" he asked her.

"I was forced to become this because of a debt my family owed the Countess. I never wanted this, not for anyone. I would rather die and face what waits me in the next world than live another day as a . . . a monster." She said as she began to weep with tears of blood falling down her face.

To see this young one going through such turmoil was in unbearable. One thing Demens saw himself as was a healer. There was no known way to change someone from a vampire to a human. But if he could grant peace to someone who was suffering, then he would. He drew his knife one more time and cleaned the he blade as best as he could.

"I will make it as fast as possible." He promised her.

"Thank you." Yori said with a smile as she kneeled before Demens, and lowered her head. Soon, she would finally be free from her curse at last.

* * *

Kimberly was asleep in the carriage and wrapped tightly with blankets to keep her warm. Demens was trying to keep the fire lit as he glanced toward the stable and saw the grave of stones with a make-shift cross. He had seen death several times over, and watched friends and loved ones come and go. But this was the first time he ever had to bury some one. He hoped that this would be the last time. A deep sigh escaped him as he looked at the terrain around him and tried to let his mind rest.

"Professor?" Kimberly asked weakly as she stirred from her sleep.

"You should still be resting. We had a rather – eventful evening last night." Professor Demens said.

"The voices have stopped." Kimberly said as she walked to the fire. "Whatever you did, thank you."

"You're very welcome." Demens said.

"What they were doing to me was horrible. What they kept telling me over and over again was – I don't even know the words for it." Kimberly said.

"Some of these creatures delight in being cruel to others they see as weak. They think they are superior than the rest of us." Demens said.

"Aren't they? With all these abilities and strength? With every thing they can do?" Kimberly asked him.

"No, my dear Kimberly. One's abilities does not make one great. It is their actions that define them. Remember that." Demens said as he took a deep breath and tried to warm himself as well.

"Do you think the other have found - have found her?" Kimberly asked as she felt fear building inside of her. But was it fear for her friends? Or fear for her strange lover?

"The others were riding to Galatz. If they were able to reach her in time, it would take a miracle." Demens said.

"But what if,"

"_Kimberly!"_

Kimberly's body stiffened as her head bolted upward. A small twinge of fear went through her as she looked all around them. She feared that there was one more vixen that the Professor hasn't eliminated yet. But the fear soon faded when she realized that she knew who the voice in her head belonged to.

"Kimberly, what is it?" Demens asked her.

"I – I'm not sure." She said as she looked toward the road. "I thought,"

"_Kimberly, you are near!"_ the voice said again.

"Beloved!" Kimberly whispered as she focused her attention to the distant road.

At hearing Kimberly say that word, Demens immediately stood to his feet and retrieved a spyglass from his coat and looked to the road. He couldn't see anything on the road at first. But then he saw something in the distance. It was a small cloud of dust in the distance that was approaching fast. Soon, Demens could see a large wagon speeding down the dirt road. There were three or four people in the back of the wagon to protect its cargo, with several large crates tied down in the back of it with the crest of the Countess painted on all of them. But at the head of the wagon was no driver! But with no driver, somehow the wagon was being controlled perfectly as it traveled toward the castle. Somehow, the Countess must be controlling the horses. And behind them, with pistols firing, were Ronald and the others.

"Damn! It looks like the final battle will be held here after all." Demens growled as he grabbed Kimberly by the wrist and pulled her into the castle's courtyard.

* * *

Along the road, Ronald and the others were pushing their horses to their limits as they tried to catch the carriage. When they had reached Galatz, they had missed the Countess' wagon by mere moments. They had been riding as fast and as hard as they could to try and catch up with it. They knew if they failed, Kimberly would forever be damned to a life in darkness. And as long as they drew breath in their bodies, they would not let that happen! Moments earlier, Brick had aimed his rifle and shot the wagon's driver through his head. Even thought the driver was dead and fallen off the wagon and under its wheels, the wagon was still heading toward the castle. They each were trying to take a shot at the others in the wagon, but the curving and sloping road kept making them miss their targets. They were running low on ammunition, and it would take too long to reload. They may not have a choice but to wait until the carriage finally stopped.

Snow began to fall as they chased the wagon and began to dodge fire from the four in the wagon. Ron flinched as he felt one bullet graze his shoulder, but couldn't afford to stop now. Too much was at stake. The air that passed by them was bitter cold and stung their skin, their fingers and their faces felt numb while their horses were beginning to pant for breath as exhaustion was starting to take effects on the poor animals. As Ronald looked in the distance, his eyes widened in horror and fear as he saw the castle looming closer like an approaching storm on the sea. When he heard another shot ring out and wound Dustin's horse behind him, he tried to make himself stay focus. With only three shots left in his pistol, Ronald took a chance as he aimed his pistol and fired one more shot.

Ronald's bullet struck one of the four in the wagon in the shoulder. The shock of being shot caused him to loose his balance and fell over the wagon and down the Cliffside to his doom. Onward they rode until Castle was now almost on top of them. As soon as the wagon was inside the castle's inner court yard, the ancient and rusted iron gate began to come down as Ron and the others approached. Ronald, Brick, and Wade were able to get through the entrance without injury. But as Dustin rode in, the iron gate came down on Dustin's horse and impaling it and bringing Dustin down with his horse. Ronald and Brick opened fired with the remaining bullets in their guns took down the others that were in the wagon. Wade dismounted and helped Dustin out from underneath his dead steed while Ron dismounted and headed to the wagon.

"Kimberly, take this. To protect yourself." Demens said as he handed her the loaded rifle he had brought with them as he went to help Wade with Dustin. Kimberly kept her back to a wall as she watched Ronald and Brick cutting the ropes to the crates on the wagon. Demens helped Wade with Dustin and saw that Dustin's leg was broken and would have to be set. But Demens attention was soon drawn away when he heard a low growling coming from one of the crates on the wagon. Demens looked and saw the Ronald and Brick were trying to open the crates and didn't notice one that had started to shake.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Demens shouted to them, but it was too late.

The crate exploded into flying wooden shards as Shego's nude form emerged from the collected mound of dirt that was inside. Her hair had once again become white from lack of strength as her eyes were blood red and nails extended like they were deadly talons. As soon as Ronald saw the face of the Countess, his face hardened into a look of hate as he grasped his knife and slashed open the old vampire's throat in one slash. The vampire's rage became inflamed as she grasped her bleeding neck with one hand and back handed Ronald in the face with an uppercut that sent Ronald into the air and out of the wagon and flat onto his back on the ground. Ronald covered his bleeding lip as he limply curled onto his side as Brick drew his Bowie knife.

"This is for Monique you buck-toothed bat out of hell!" Brick shouted as he shoved the knife into the vampire's back.

The Countess screamed in pain as the tip of the blade emerged from her body, above her left breast as more of her blood began to run down her pale toned body. The vampire gritted her teeth as she violently jerked her head backwards, bashing Brick in the face before bashing her left elbow into Brick's ribs and heard several of them snap. As Brick doubled over in pain, he withdrew the knife from the Countess' body as she spun to face him. She gripped the Texan by the throat in and began tightening grip and instantly made the young man's face turn a deep purple. She flung the man over the wagon and into the horses that had been pulling it before falling to the ground. Brick had to quickly roll out of the way as the horses began to rear up in fear and almost brought the strong hooves down on top of the Texan's blonde head.

"SHEGO!" Kimberly screamed as she rushed forward as she saw the Countess stumble to her knees and fall out of the wagon herself. The loss of blood was beginning to weaken her even more as the vampire's blood was staining the snow covered stone courtyard. Kimberly tried run to help her, only for Ronald to stop her.

"Kimberly, don't!" Ronald shouted.

"SHE NEEDS ME!" Kimberly screamed.

"She's down! Now's our chance!" Dustin shouted as he drew his own knife and stood to his feet, groaning in incredible pain from his broken leg.

"Dustin, you're hurt!" Wade protested.

"I don't care!" Dustin said as he forced himself to run toward the bleeding vampire, screaming as he did so. "FOR MONIQUE!" he screamed as he raised his knife high above his head for the killing blow.

Faster than any of the gathered people expected, the Countess was on her feet with the speed of a diamond back rattlesnake and grabbed Dustin by his wrist. With one twist, she snapped Dustin's arm at the elbow as she jerked it downward and dislocated it at the shoulder. Dustin's screams echoed off the castle's walls was she used her other hand to jerk his head back by his hair and sank her teeth deep into his neck and ripped through tissue and muscle to allow her drink as much blood as she could. Blood gushed forward, coating the lower half of Shego's face with black cherry red blood as she ripped and pulled more and more of Dustin's head away from his body to drink more and more blood that his body offered her.

"DUSTY, NO!" Brick shouted as he stood to his feet, and withdrew a pistol he had hidden behind his back. Shego looked up and stood, her entire body covered in a mixture of her blood. She glared at the Texan with Dustin's head in one hand and letting his limp and empty body fall to the ground. "DIE, YOU BITCH!"

Having to face an angry vampire is very dangerous within itself. But the Countess was an ancient and very powerful vampire. And she wasn't just angry anymore. She was fucking pissed off! She flung Dustin's disembodied head toward Brick with such speed and force that when it struck Brick's shoulder, a loud snap was heard! Brick shouted in pain as his shoulder was broken and Dustin's skull shattered and stained Brick's coat with blood. The momentary distraction was all Shego needed as she ran toward the Texan and leapt for him. As she came down on top of him, her right arm shot forward and broke through his chest and bones like a sharpened knife through paper. With her arm jutting completely through Brick's body, she relished the looked of pain and shock on the young man's face as blood began to fall from his mouth.

"YOU MUST PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!" Demens said as he drew his silver and gold cross as Wade raised his pistol once more. As they approached the vampire, Demens began reciting passages from the bible in Latin as Shego glared at him.

"You foolish old simpleton." Shego growled, the wound in her throat making it hard for her to talk. She jerked Brick's dead body off of her arm as she turned her attention to the two in front of her. "Haven't you learned the difference between myth and fact, yet? Crucifixes don't hurt me!" she growled.

"This may not. But this will!" Demens shouted as he revealed a small crossbow he had hidden under his coat. Loaded into the cross bow was a sharpened wooden steak that he immediately fired. The steak plunged itself into Shego's chest, sending her down onto the ground. The steak had come close to killing her, but it had missed her heart by a small inch. Despite drinking Dustin's blood, her wounds hadn't yet closed and her strength hadn't returned yet. Now to have a stake in her chest was almost unbearable.

"You missed? She was in front of you, and you missed?" Wade demanded.

"Only once." Demens growled as he loaded another steak into the crossbow. "Your reign of terror ends now!" he said as he and Wade walked to the wounded monster and he aimed the crossbow for Shego's heart.

"NOOOO!" Kimberly screamed as she broke Ronald's grip on her, raised the rifle, and fired.

The crack of the rifle echoed and Wade jumped as he felt something wet and warm splatter all over his face. He wiped whatever had hit him with his gloved hand and saw that it was covered in blood and a strange gray matter. When he looked to his old teacher, he was shocked to see the side of his head had a large hole in and exposing what was left of his skull and brain. Demens stood there for a few more moments before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and collapsed to the ground. Everyone looked at Kimberly in shock as tears flowed down her face in torrents.

"K-kimberly?" Shego asked weakly as Kimberly backed away from Ronald and maneuvered herself to stand in front of Shego with the rifle still raised.

"Kimberly, what have you done?" Ronald asked her.

"When my time comes, will you do the same to me?" Kimberly asked him.

"What?"

"WILL YOU?" she demanded.

"No! I never could! KP, I – I love you."

"I love you too, Ron. But I love her more." Kimberly said with tears in her eyes.

Ronald didn't know what it was, but something clicked inside of his mind as he looked at his wife. The passion he saw for the Countess, the way she had flung herself to her. Why didn't he ever recognize it before? Deep down he knew, he somehow always knew. He thought the Countess had bewitched her, like those vipers of hers had done to him. But he had been wrong.

"YOU MURDEROUS,"

"WADE, NO!" Ronald shouted and stopped his friend, using his weight to keep him from advancing. "Wade, no! Let her go!"

"WHAT?" Wade demanded.

"I said, let her go! This is her choice now, not ours!"

"After everything that's happened? Ronald, that – thing killed Monique!"

"No! Demens and Vaughn killed her, not the Countess."

"She has to die!"

"It's not for us to decide!"

"How can you say that? How can you say that to me? After everything she's done? To you! To me! TO HUMANITY?"

"KP LOVES HER!" Ronald shouted back. "KP loves her! She wants to be with her! And all I want is for Kimberly to be happy. And if she wants a life with her, then that's what I'll give her." Ronald said as he let go of Wade. "I love Kimberly more than my need for revenge." He said as he looked at Kimberly as she knelt down beside the Countess. "We've all become God's madmen. All of us." He whispered to himself.

"You won't kill her?" Wade demanded from him.

"No, Wade. I won't."

"Fine then." Wade said. "Then I will!" Wade shouted as he took Demen's Kukri knife and charge for the Countess.

Kimberly raised the rifle again as Wade screamed with a primal rage that could only be seen in his patients at the asylum. Kimberly was trying to grasp the trigger as Wade was almost on top of them before he stopped and his features froze. Wade stood there with a look of pure confusion before his arm that was holding the knife began to slowly drop. It looked as if Wade was trying to say something, but couldn't. Then, Wade fell to his knees and then onto his face. In the back of his head, a large steak jutted out. Kimberly looked and saw Ronald holding Demens's crossbow in his hand. He let the crossbow drop as he looked at the two women as the Countess tried to raise herself upright.

"You take care of her. Do you hear me?" Ronald demanded form the vampire.

"W-with my l-life." The Countess said, but sounded gurgled from the wound in her neck and chest.

"You better. Because if you don't, I'll come back for you." Ronald said. Ronald stood there frozen in place as he watched Kimberly raise the wounded vampire to her feet. With her blood covered arm over her shoulder, Kimberly helped the vampire to the entrance to the castle. Before they entered the ancient structure, Kimberly looked back at Ronald one last time and mouthed the words "Thank you."

"From the Ashes of this, is born revenge. So now, let this not serve as a grizzly memory; but as a living truth." Ronald said to himself as he watched Kimberly disappear into the castle and out of his life.

* * *

**2011, New Orleans**

It was a crisp autumn night as music echoed throughout the French Quarter. It was hard to believe that this area had fallen to such ruin with the flood of 2005, but had come back strong. In an apartment that overlooked the French Quarter, after having a romantic and very active evening together, were a young a vibrant young couple that were basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Both their skin was pale and smooth as a finely crafter antique doll and coated in a thin coat of sweat. As they both tried to catch their breath, the young redheaded maiden brushed the ebony locks of her lover's hair out of her face. Her lover's emerald eyes sparkled with a slight hint of red as they gazed at each other.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" she asked her young lover.

"This is the twenty-first century, not the nineteenth. You can be amazed at what you can learn now." She said with a smile that exposed a small pair of fangs.

"Are you calling me old fashioned?"

"With you? Sometimes." She said.

"So, how do you feel about a hunt, tonight?"

"You know we have access to blood banks in this day age, Shego."

"I know. But to find someone and then bite them when they don't know it. I still miss that rush." Shego said.

"So I've noticed. Isn't that how our last time in bed started."

"If I recall, you didn't complain, Kimberly." Shego said as she stretched. "I think I'm going to take a warm bath. Want to join me?"

"As tempting as that is, I think I'll read for a little bit." The redhead said.

"If it's that damn Twilight again,"

"I thought you would like the fact that people like us now."

"People used to fear our kind. Now they think were sappy, emotional, teen heart throbs." Shego said as she crawled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"At least you don't look like Gary Oldman." Kimberly said.

"I hate that they keep thinking I'm a man! If Bram Stoker wasn't already dead, I'd give him a piece of my mind!" Shego shouted from the bathroom as the shower started.

As Kimberly walked into the library, wearing only a blue and white lace robe, she glanced at a small box she had kept from her life in London. She opened the box and removed a first edition copy of the novel Dracula. It was old and worn, with the pages yellowed from age. She carefully opened the book to its back cover, and saw the faded message that had been written in ink.

"_To Kimberly._

_A memento to remember me by. No matter what happens, I will always love you. Stay safe, my immortal beloved._

_Signed, Ronald Stoppable/Bram Stoker"_

In a letter that came with the book, Ronald had to restart his life. He changed his name and began to hang around the theatre crowd. Ron had married and had a long life, but he had never seen or talked to her since that day at the castle. She missed him, with all her heart. She missed all of them, but she missed Ronald the most. She had been her best friend and her husband. The only comfort that she had was from her immortal lover that was in the shower right now. But when she turned on the television lately, she saw news report about a Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable saving the day. No doubt, the two were hers and Ron's descendants. She would have to find a way, but maybe she could talk to the young Stoppable and tell him of his ancestor. She just prayed that if those two were in love, then may they be as happy as her and her lover.

"Everything all right?" Shego asked from the bathroom.

"Yes. Everything is wonderful." Kim said as her eyes began to change to a blood red.

Maybe she would join her lover in the shower after all and show her what else she learned. Before she did so, she turned on the stereo and began to play one of her favorite songs as she walked to the bathroom with a little more sway to her hips. As Shego heard Guns and Roses play Sympathy for the Devil, she couldn't help but smirk. Every time Kimberly played that song, she knew that another round in the bed was fixing to begin.

**THE END**


End file.
